Guys, let’s be honest. Nobody needs an excuse to drink a cold beer in Saigon. But when a whole month is dedicated to giant glasses of German lager, pork knuckles the size of your forearm and oompah bands that make grown men link arms and sway, we are not going to argue. Oktoberfest in Ho Chi Minh City has quietly become one of the best-attended parties on the expat calendar, and it has been running a lot longer than most people realise.
We at Kim’s Tavern Super Girl Bar have watched plenty of our regulars roll in after an Oktoberfest night, still wearing their Bavarian hats, still singing, and very much still thirsty. So we did our homework on what has actually been happening at Oktoberfest in Saigon over the last couple of years, what you can expect if you go, and where to carry on the celebration once the beer tents pack up.
When Is Oktoberfest in Ho Chi Minh City?
This is the question everyone types into Google, and the answer surprises a lot of people. The big organised Oktoberfest in Ho Chi Minh City events do not actually run for the whole of October. In recent years they have landed anywhere from late September to mid October, and they only last a few nights each.
In 2026, both of the city’s major festivals happened in late September:
- Oktoberfest Vietnam at Windsor Plaza Hotel ran for four nights, from 23 to 26 September 2026.
- GBA Oktoberfest Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City ran from 24 to 26 September 2026, before moving on to Da Nang on 2 October and Hanoi from 8 to 10 October.
In 2025 the timing was later, with the GBA festival closing out its three-city tour at Hotel Nikko Saigon from 9 to 11 October. In 2024 it was 10 to 12 October at the same hotel. So the rule of thumb is simple, kings: start checking dates in August, because the good nights sell out and the calendar moves around every year.
How Saigon Got Its Oktoberfest Habit
Oktoberfest in Vietnam is not some new marketing gimmick cooked up by a hotel. The German Business Association (GBA) first brought it here in 1992, which makes it one of the longest-running Oktoberfest celebrations anywhere outside Germany. It is co-hosted with the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam and runs under the patronage of the German Embassy in Hanoi and the German Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. That gives it a genuine German backbone, and a fair few suits in the crowd doing business between steins.
The Windsor Plaza event has its own long pedigree. It has been running since 2005, and it was once named by Reuters among the top 10 Oktoberfest celebrations outside Germany. Two decades of practice means they know exactly how to get a room of 2,000 people standing on benches by 9PM.
The Big Two: Windsor Plaza vs GBA Oktoberfest
If you are planning Oktoberfest in Saigon next year, these are the two heavyweights you need to know about. They are completely separate events with different venues, beers and crowds, so it pays to know the difference.
Oktoberfest Vietnam at Windsor Plaza Hotel
The Windsor Plaza party takes over Level 7 of the hotel on An Duong Vuong Street, starting at 6PM each night. According to Viet Nam News’ preview of Oktoberfest Vietnam 2026, this year’s edition added a few upgrades to keep things fresh:
- Unlimited imported Maisel’s Weisse Dunkel and Veltins Pilsner
- A commemorative beer glass for every ticket holder to take home
- A live band from Munich plus DJ sets, so the night does not stay stuck in 1810
- The traditional keg tapping ceremony on opening night
- A lucky draw every evening
- Roughly 2,000 guests expected each night
The food is a proper all-you-can-eat German feast. Think Nürnberger, Frankfurter and Bratwurst sausages, schnitzel, roasted pork knuckle, braised veal, sauerkraut and pretzels, with some international dishes thrown in for anyone who is already sausaged out.
GBA Oktoberfest Vietnam
The GBA festival is the one with the biggest numbers. As Asia Brewers Network reported, the 2024 edition pulled in more than 10,500 guests who worked their way through over 20,000 litres of imported German beer. In 2025, the year that marked 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Germany and 30 years of the GBA itself, attendance climbed past 11,000, the highest since the festival began here.
For 2026 the organisers made their biggest change in years. They moved the Ho Chi Minh City leg out of Hotel Nikko Saigon and into a larger site at 257 Hoang Van Thu in Tan Son Hoa Ward, an area connected to the former German Consulate. The new space gave them roughly 30% more capacity, and opening night alone drew more than 1,500 people. Paulaner, the famous Munich brewery, came on board as the beer partner, while Hotel Nikko Saigon stayed on to handle the food.
On stage, GBA has leaned on the O’zapft Band from Germany and Austria for several years now, backed up by folk dancing, traditional games and raffle draws. If you want your Oktoberfest to feel as close to a Munich beer tent as possible, this is the one.
The Smaller Oktoberfest Parties Around District 1
Not everyone wants to buy a ticket and commit to a whole night in a hotel ballroom. The good news is that plenty of Saigon’s bars, breweries and restaurants run their own Oktoberfest nights, usually in early October.
East West Brewing on Ly Tu Trong Street has been throwing an annual Oktoberfest for years, with 2024 marking its seventh edition. Expect craft beer, a German buffet, live bands, DJs and games. In 2025, The Long @ Times Square, the restaurant that stretches all the way between Nguyen Hue and Dong Khoi, ran a two-night Oktoberfest on 2 and 3 October. Hotels and German-style restaurants around District 1 also tend to roll out special German menus and beer deals through the month.
These smaller events move around every year, so check local listings like Saigoneer before you head out. The upside is that they are usually cheaper, closer to your hotel and a lot less crowded than the big two.
What You Can Actually Expect at Oktoberfest in Saigon
If you have never done an Oktoberfest in Ho Chi Minh City before, here is the honest picture.
The beer never stops. Most ticketed events are free-flow, which is great for your wallet and terrible for your Tuesday morning. Imported German brands are the standard, so you are drinking the real thing rather than local lager dressed up in a Bavarian hat.
The food is heavy. Sausages, pork knuckle, sauerkraut, pretzels and schnitzel. Eat early and eat often, because free-flow beer on an empty stomach in 32 degree heat is how legends are made and phones are lost.
The music is loud and silly. Traditional oompah sets mixed with pop and rock hits, beer-toasting songs every 15 minutes, and a DJ to carry the late end of the night. You will be standing on a bench at some point. Accept it.
Dressing up is encouraged. Lederhosen, dirndls and felt hats are everywhere. Nobody will judge you for going full Bavarian, and honestly, you will look more out of place if you do not.
The crowd is mixed. You get German expats, corporate groups from Vietnamese and international companies, curious locals and tourists who stumbled onto a flyer. It is one of the most social nights of the year in Saigon.
Lucky draws are serious business. Both big festivals run nightly prize draws, so hang onto your ticket stub.
Tips for Doing Oktoberfest in Ho Chi Minh City Right
- Book early. The big events sell tickets through their own channels and corporate groups snap up tables fast. Weekend nights go first.
- Check the dates every year. As we said above, the festival has bounced between late September and mid October recently. Do not assume it is the same week as last year.
- Take a Grab. Windsor Plaza sits in the Cho Lon area, and the GBA’s new home is near Tan Son Nhat. Neither is walking distance from District 1 hotels, and nobody should be riding a motorbike after free-flow Paulaner.
- Pace yourself. The German steins are big, the Saigon heat is real, and the night is long. Grab water between rounds.
- Plan your after party. Most Oktoberfest events wind down around 11PM or midnight. That is far too early for a proper Saigon night out.
Missed the Big Tents? Keep Oktoberfest Going at Kim’s Tavern
Here is the thing, handsome. The hotel festivals are fantastic, but they are over in a few nights. Oktoberfest is meant to be a whole month of celebrating, and in Saigon, October nights are too good to waste.
That is why we are running a special offer all through October at Kim’s Tavern Super Girl Bar. [OCTOBER OFFER DETAILS – TO BE CONFIRMED]
Whether you are warming up before a festival, coming straight from one still wearing the lederhosen, or you just missed the tickets this year, you will find a cold drink and a warm welcome waiting for you at 20 Huynh Thuc Khang Street in District 1. It is a short walk from Nguyen Hue and an easy Grab ride from pretty much any hotel in town.
We have two floors and two full bars, so you are never stuck waiting for your next round. Downstairs you have the classic bar and a comfy sofa lounge. Upstairs you have pool tables, shuffleboard and a lounge area, perfect for settling the “who drank the most” argument with something a little more skilful than a stein-holding contest. And of course, you have our girls. The most beautiful, fun and friendly team on Huynh Thuc Khang Street, who will fetch your drinks tableside, laugh at your terrible German accent and make sure nobody drinks alone.
Coming with the whole office or a big group of mates after the festival? We can reserve a section, a full floor or the entire venue. Take a look at our private event venue in Ho Chi Minh City page, or message us on Facebook and our events team will sort you out. Our 4.8 star rating from over 650 genuine Google reviews says the rest.
So here is our plan for you this October, kings. Book your Oktoberfest tickets early next year, eat all the pork knuckle you can handle, and when the band plays its last song, head over to Kim’s Tavern and let the real party begin. Prost!
Lots of love from all the girls at Kim’s Tavern Super Girl Bar xoxo
