Starkbierfest Munich
Strong Beer Festival 2025

Starkbierfest 2025 Munich Strong Beer Festival

To appreciate the Munich love of beer you just have to consider what locals call the “fifth season”. It’s the Starkbierzeit (Strong Beer Time), a frenzy of early-spring stout swigging.

• Visiting Munich? Stay in the heart of the city in a luxurious suite at Beyond by Geisel a unique luxury concept putting you in the heart of the action. Meanwhile the Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor, offers amazing views of the city and a great rooftop pool.

The Festival

• Munich is always brewing up some kind of excuse to get buzzed. Sandwiched between Carnival celebrations and Easter, Starkbierfest is Munich’s Lent-time justification for alcohol consumption. The festival is celebrated over a few weeks during early Spring
• Beer halls and breweries host their own Starkbierfests across the city. It’s a fabulous event where you have the supreme privilege of downing fresh, delicious brew that tastes like it was especially concocted just for you to drink on that specific day.

The Gay Event

• The Munich Leather and Fetish association, MLC host a special 4 day weekend version of their very own Starkbierfest each March.
• Events typically kick off with a meet and greet on Thursday from 7 pm. Guests can mix and mingle with the candidates from Bavarian Mr Leather. The event is followed with a bar tour.
• After a cultural programme on Friday afternoon, enjoy a delicious food at the Bluf Detish Dinner followed by a hardcore fetish party at the UnderGround.
• Saturday plays host to the coronation of Bavarian Mr Leather followed by the „Löwennacht“ at UnderGround, a dress code fetish event.
• On Sunday, the Starkbierfest-weekend ends with one or more mugs of Maximator, the strong malty beer of Augustiner brewery, proper Bavarian brass music and lots of guys in traditional Bavarian leather shorts.
• The event is held at Augustiner Keller München, from 10 am.

Gay Munich

• The gay neighbourhood in Munich is quite compact. There are 9 gay bars most of them are in the old town around the Glockenbachviertel.
• Known as the vibrant gay district of Munich, upscale Glockenbachviertel offers trendy bars and nightlife venues that go into the wee hours of the morning. It’s home to the Gender-Ampel traffic light featuring diverse pedestrian characters, as well as boutiques, galleries and performing arts at the State Theater on Gärtnerplatz.

Underground

• Underground is a gay cruise & fetish nightclub in Munich, hosted by MLC (Münchner Löwen Club) open from Friday to Sunday morning. 21:00 – 04:00 (entry till 23:00).
• It is a 20-minute drive from the gay bars along Glockenbachviertel.

 Augustiner Keller München

• Augustiner-Keller – Landmark restaurant known for its large beer garden & hall, serving Bavarian & international dishes.
• It is a 12-minute drive from the gay bars of Munich.
• The beer tent is open on Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm.
• Brass bands start at 11 pm with special performances from 1 pm.
• Party music in the beer cellar from 3 pm.

Recommended Munich Hotels

The following hotels are close to Munich’s top attractions and a short ride to the Starkbierzeit parties:

Bayerischer Hof,    Hotel Exquisit,    Living Hotel,    Mercure Hotel