Where to Celebrate Oktoberfest Without the Giant Tent

Munich tapped its first keg on 19 September, which means Dubai’s annual hunt for giant pretzels and increasingly competitive stein-holding has officially begun.

The city does Oktoberfest very well. It also tends to do it very loudly, inside enormous temporary venues involving packages, costumes and a full-day commitment.

Prefer your Bavarian celebrations closer to home? This year’s alternatives include a one-off brunch in JLT, seven weeks beside the polo fields and a Marina gastropub keeping things pleasingly casual.

The lederhosen is optional. We checked.

For One Big Saturday: McGettigan’s JLT

McGettigan’s JLT is going Bavarian for one afternoon. The Irish part is staying firmly in place.

Its Oktoberfest Brunch lands on Saturday 3 October, with Bavarian-inspired food, unlimited drinks and live music from 1pm to 4pm.

The package costs AED329, covering three hours of eating, drinking and a room fully prepared to sing along.

McGettigan’s has been part of JLT since 2010, long before choosing lunch in Cluster J became a tactical exercise. Expect its usual big, communal atmosphere with added pretzels and steins.

The menu is getting the Bavarian treatment. The craic remains untouched.

When: Saturday 3 October, 1pm to 4pm
Price: AED 329

For the Long, Casual Season: Horse & Hound

Horse & Hound is taking the long route.

Its Oktoberfest runs from 19 September to 31 October, giving you more than six weeks to visit without forcing the group chat to agree on one Saturday.

There is no ballroom ticket or three-hour package. Just Bavarian bites, German-inspired drinks and live entertainment inside an air-conditioned tent overlooking the polo fields.

Dishes start from AED 20, with white sausage, chicken jägerschnitzel, cheese spätzle, apple strudel and Black Forest cheesecake among the specials.

Drop in for lunch, stay for a stein or make an evening of it. Nobody is timing you.

Horse & Hound opens daily from noon to 2am.

When: Daily until 31 October
Price: Bavarian dishes from AED 20; drinks charged separately

For a Marina Pint and Sharing Plate: The Croft

The Croft is keeping Oktoberfest pleasingly casual.

Hopfest runs until 4 October, with limited-edition Bavarian dishes and sharing platters served from 4pm to 1am, Tuesday to Sunday.

There is no fixed package or three-hour commitment. Order something seasonal, add a pint and enjoy the Marina view. If one sharing plate becomes several, that is between you and the pretzel.

The menu is priced à la carte, so you only pay for what you order. A strangely refreshing Oktoberfest concept.

The Croft itself opens from 4pm Tuesday to Saturday and 12.30pm on Sunday at Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites.

When: Until 4 October, Tuesday to Sunday
Price: À la carte

For the Full Bavarian Experience: ERNST Biergarten

ERNST does not need an Oktoberfest makeover. It lives like this all year.

The permanent Wirtshaus and biergarten serves pork knuckle, sausages and house-baked pretzels long after everybody else has packed away the bunting.

Its seven-week Bavarian Bierfest runs until 31 October, with à-la-carte evenings from 5pm Thursday to Saturday. Expect live brass bands, festival games, stein-holding competitions and special dishes from AED55.

Saturday is the full operation. The Bierfest Brunch runs from 1pm to 5pm, with packages starting at AED300. Sunday brings a calmer Bavarian roast from 1pm to 4pm for AED120.

Book this when you want proper Bavarian food, bands and communal-table energy, not a pub briefly putting a pretzel on the menu.

When: Until 31 October
Price: Dishes from AED 55; brunch from AED 300; Sunday roast AED 120

Munich’s official Oktoberfest runs until 4 October 2026. Dubai, naturally, intends to keep going until the end of the month.