Strain at Munich's Wiesn Festival for FC Bayern and 1860: 'Sacrifice of Connection and Tradition'
In a significant shift for football fans in Munich, both FC Bayern and TSV 1860 Munich will no longer play home games during the Oktoberfest period, starting from 2026. This change is a result of the new international break system approved by FIFA in March 2023.
The new system, which consists of two breaks instead of the previous three, will see the first break span over 16 days from late September to early October, with three games. The second break will be in November, over nine days, with two games.
The future of Wiesn home games for Bayern and 1860 remains uncertain, with the possibility of either taking turns experiencing the exclusive Wiesn home game or going several years without any. This news has been met with a mix of acceptance and regret from both clubs' CEOs.
Christian Werner, CEO of TSV 1860 Munich, views the new situation neutrally, but acknowledges the importance of Oktoberfest home games to the club's fans. He admits it would be a shame for the bond and tradition if there are no home games during the Oktoberfest period. Bayern's CEO, Herbert Hainer, on the other hand, sees advantages in the new system, including the reduction of league breaks and longer DFB refereeing courses.
The Oktoberfest, Munich's world-famous beer festival, takes place from September 19 to October 4 in 2026. Only the first Oktoberfest weekend could potentially host league games for Bayern and 1860 in 2026, with typically only one of the two clubs playing at home.
The new conditions could potentially affect the sales of Oktoberfest jerseys for both Bayern and 1860, as they are popular among fans. The Department of Labor and Economy estimates that each FC Bayern home game in 2023 generated an average of 13.4 million euros in tourist-related revenue for Munich. However, the future reduction or absence of football matches in Munich during Oktoberfest is expected to cause only minor effects on the city's tourism-related revenue since the total number of home games remains the same.
Despite this, the department also suggests that home games during the Oktoberfest might generate a slightly higher turnover due to higher overnight stay prices. Bayern's president Hainer hopes there might be a possibility of an overlap between international breaks and the Oktoberfest for the sake of the fans.
As the new international break system is set to apply until at least 2030, both clubs and the city remain calm about the end of Oktoberfest home games. However, the absence of these games during the festival period could slightly reduce peak economic benefits during the festival.
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