PEP
Oktoberfest finds home in Parañaque
Thousands of kilometers away, the German Club Manila has sustained its own Oktoberfest tradition. The 2026 celebration marked its 86th edition, with the club’s event history dating to 1934.
There are places where a tradition begins, and places where it finds a life of its own.
From 8 to 10 October, the German Club Manila brought Oktoberfest to the Solaire Grand Ballroom in Parañaque, filling three evenings with Bavarian music, German beer and traditional cuisine. The celebration featured the Bavarian Sound Express, Hofbräu München beer and a family-style feast, alongside a ceremonial keg tapping, raffle draws and late-night dancing.
The setting was Metro Manila. The tradition began in Munich more than two centuries ago.
Oktoberfest traces its origins to 1810, when Munich celebrated the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The festivities evolved into an annual gathering that became closely associated with beer, food, music and Bavarian culture.
Thousands of kilometers away, the German Club Manila has sustained its own Oktoberfest tradition. The 2026 celebration marked its 86th edition, with the club’s event history dating to 1934. The festival offers a local expression of a custom whose identity rests as much on communal celebration as on its food and drink.
At Solaire, the menu provided a taste of that heritage. Guests could order and reorder dishes throughout the evening, choosing from pretzels, cold cuts, cheeses, sausages, schnitzel, pork knuckle, roast chicken, beef goulash and cheese spätzle. Apple strudel and Black Forest cake rounded out the selection.
Music supplied the other essential element. The Bavarian Sound Express was scheduled to perform from 8:30 p.m. each evening, after doors opened at 6 p.m., with a late-night dance set following the main program. The ceremonial keg tapping and nightly raffle draws added to the festivities.
The event, held in partnership with Solaire Resort Entertainment City, was projected to attract more than 6,000 guests over three nights. Admission was limited to adults aged 18 and above.
Oktoberfest in Manila is not a replica of the festival in Munich. It is a tradition carried into a different setting, where German expatriates and Filipino guests can gather around familiar customs or encounter them for the first time.