Oktoberfest in Munich again looks exactly as it has been used to for decades: dirndli, lederhosen, orchestras, beer and traditional Bavarian cuisine.
Against this backdrop, a debate has once again arisen on social networks about why burkas and niqabs are almost invisible in the footage and whether the traditional German holiday should even be adjusted to the religious norms of new communities.
Briefly about the main thing
- Oktoberfest is a secular Bavarian folk festival that originated in 1810.
- There is no official ban on the burqa or niqab at the festival.
- There have indeed been demands in the past to cancel Oktoberfest as an “anti-Islamic” event.
- In 2026, signatures are already being collected in Bavaria under the opposite slogan – to keep Wiesn “traditional, local and above all Bavarian.”
- The dispute takes place against the background of the real problem of Islamist extremism in Germany, which is officially recorded by the German intelligence services.
Content
- What is Oktoberfest
- Burka is not prohibited here
- When they demanded to cancel Oktoberfest
- The problem of radicalism really exists
- Now the Bavarians themselves are demanding to “save Wiesn”
Not a religious holiday, but a Bavarian holiday
Oktoberfest is not a religious event. The first celebration took place in 1810 on the occasion of the wedding of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
Today, the official website of Munich calls Wiesn the largest folk festival in the world and at the same time “part of the soul of Munich,” where it receives a new incarnation every year Bavarian traditions, customs and way of life. At the same time, the organizers emphasize that this is a “holiday for everyone.”
In 2026, Oktoberfest takes place on Theresienwiese with September 19 to October 4. The program includes not only beer tents, but also traditional processions, orchestra performances, folk costume parades and historical ceremonies.
Burka is not prohibited here
At Oktoberfest in Germany, there are beautiful women, and none of them wear a hijab or burqa. This is the real Europe we like. pic.twitter.com/t11Flx0txJ
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) September 20, 2026
The reason for the current discussion was viral videos, where among thousands of visitors there are practically no women wearing burkas or niqabs.
Some users concluded from this that such clothing is prohibited at Oktoberfest. However There are no official rules establishing a specific ban on the burqa, niqab or Muslim headscarf..
The festival restrictions relate primarily to safety: dangerous objects, large bags, glass bottles and a number of other things are prohibited. Access to the festival grounds remains open to visitors regardless of their religion.
However, the absence of a formal ban does not change the cultural nature of the event itself. Oktoberfest was not created as a neutral international fair without a national character. This is exactly bavarian holidaybuilt around local clothing, music, cuisine and long-standing traditions.
Demands to change or cancel the holiday have already been heard
Controversies surrounding the combination of Oktoberfest and Islamic norms have arisen before.
In 2015, a petition appeared on Change.org demanding cancel Oktoberfest as ‘anti-Islamic’ and ‘intolerant’ event. The author argued that alcohol consumption and other elements of the holiday were offensive to Muslims and called on the Munich city council to cancel the festival.
The initiative received virtually no support – it was signed by about 150 people. It had no political consequences, but received widespread attention precisely because it posed the question: whether a centuries-old local tradition should be changed because a particular religious group considers some of its elements unacceptable.
It is important to emphasize that such demands cannot be attributed to all Muslims in Germany. We were talking about specific activists and individual radical or extremely conservative positions.
But the problem of Islamist radicalism is real for Germany
At the same time, the problem of Islamism in Germany itself is not fictitious or exclusively media.
The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution estimated the number of people belonging to the Islamist-extremist environment in 28,280 people by the end of 2024. Of these, about 9 540 belonged to violence-oriented circles. The number of supporters of the Salafi movement was estimated at approximately 11 thousand people.
German counterintelligence separately emphasizes the fundamental difference between Islam as a religion and Islamism as political extremism. Islamist movements, according to the department, seek to place a religiously based political order above Germany’s democratic constitutional order.
The agency also warns that the threat of Islamist terrorism in the country remains high, with social networks and propaganda from jihadist organizations playing a significant role in the radicalization of young people.
Therefore, the German debate about integration has long gone beyond clothing or menus at folk festivals. It addresses a more fundamental question: where respect for cultural and religious differences ends and the demand to change the norms of the host society begins.
“Save Wiesn”: Bavarians are now collecting signatures themselves
It is symbolic that in 2026 the opposite initiative appeared – “Rettet die Wiesn” (“Save Oktoberfest”).
The petition is addressed to the Bavarian government and the authorities of Upper Bavaria. By September 21, she was already supported by more than 5 thousand people. True, the immediate reason for the initiative was not Islam or migration, but concerns about a possible change in the system of distribution of places between festival operators and the admission of large international companies.
But the wording of the petition itself is revealing. Its authors demand to preserve the “core of Oktoberfest” “traditional, connected to the native land, simple and above all Bavarian”. At the same time, they separately emphasize: Wiesn remains open, hospitable and dedicated to guests from all over the world.
It is this formula that perhaps best describes the current dispute.
A multicultural society does not have to mean abandoning local traditions. People of any nationality and religion can come to Oktoberfest – drink non-alcoholic beer, not eat pork, wear their regular clothes, or just watch the holiday.
But it does not follow from this that Wiesn itself must rebuild its cultural character to suit the norms of each new community.
Editorial comment
Oktoberfest is interesting precisely because it remains a recognizable Bavarian holiday. If you take away local clothing, music, cuisine, beer traditions and historical rituals, you get another international festival without its own identity.
Integration works both ways: the state is obliged to protect freedom of religion and the dignity of people regardless of their origin, but those who come to the country also find themselves within an already existing society with its own history, laws and culture.
The problem is not the presence of Muslims at Oktoberfest, but the attempt of any religious or political group to demand that the local tradition be rewritten exclusively to its norms.
In this sense, the slogan “Rettet die Wiesn” sounds broader than the dispute over festival tents: keep the festival open to everyone – but at the same time keep it Bavarian.
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