Oktoberfest Belfast kicks off at Custom House Square today!

Author: Emma DicksonPublished 28th Sep 2023

Oktoberfest celebrations are set to kick off in Belfast’s Custom House Square this evening, from Thursday 28th September right through until the end of October.

Oktoberfest is often associated with beer, but the festival’s traditions go beyond that.

While the beer tents, of course, provide drinks, they also provide traditional food and great Oom Pa Pa music.

The musical line-up this year includes Cool FM’s Pete Snodden, The Gate Crashers, Green Means Go, Aye, Fith Avenue, Jukebox Juniors, Cold Comfort and lots more. Check out oktoberfestbelfast.com for more details.

What are Oktoberfest Belfast’s opening times:

Thursdays & Fridays

5pm - 11:30pm

Saturdays

3pm - 11:30pm

Oktoberfest Belfast Entry Prices:

Thursdays - £8.50 (free for students)

Fridays - £8.50

Saturdays - £10

It’s also tradition at Oktoberfest Belfast that anyone dressed in Laderhosen or Dirndl (Heidi dress) will gain free admission.

Students get FREE entry on Thursdays with valid student card

What’s the history behind Oktoberfest?

Oktoberfest first started more than 200 years ago as a wedding celebration when Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in 1810. The wedding was celebrated with multiple days of drinking, feasting and horse races.

Since then the celebration became an annual even, and is celebrated worldwide.

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How to listen to Cool FM:

Tune into Northern Ireland’s number 1 for music, Cool FM on 97.4FM, online, on our Rayo app, your DAB radio, or say ‘Play Cool FM’ on your Smart Speaker. We play you the biggest hits from the world’s hottest artists, from Pete Snodden in the morning to the NI Hit 40.