Stuttgart Frühlingsfest: The Largest, Funnest, and Best Spring Festival in Both Germany and Europe
Introduction
What is the largest, funnest, and best spring festival in Europe? It happens to be the Frühlingsfest (Spring Festival) in Stuttgart, Germany. Do you love big beers and a welcoming, jubilant atmosphere that is also family friendly? Then the Frühlingsfest is for you. This massive party flies under the radar for many international tourists, which makes it feel even more special and exclusive.
Europe’s Best-Kept Spring Party Secret
The Frühlingsfest is still a best kept secret unfamiliar to most tourists.
Stuttgart’s neighbor to the east, Munich, gets most of the fame and glory for its legendary Oktoberfest (held for three weeks in late September and October). But believe it or not, Stuttgart far outshines its Bavarian sister in April and May every year, despite the fact that Munich has its own competing version of the Frühlingsfest. Take note that Stuttgart also has its version of Oktoberfest, called the Cannstatter Wasen or Volksfest (the meadow of Cannstatt, or People’s Festival). The autumn Wasen is also a superb event, but alas, that requires a different blog post.
Smaller, but Still a Huge Festival
The beer festivals in spring are smaller than in autumn, but “small” is a relative term. Rather than eight (8) beer tents in the fall, there are only five (5) in the spring. Nevertheless, each massive beer tent welcomes up to five thousand (5,000) guests every single day for three consecutive weeks. On weekends, you can expect the tents to be packed, so estimate about 25,000 inside, but there are many thousands enjoying the festivities outside as well. These activities include additional beer gardens, carnival rides, and other activities that are reminiscent of the best state fair you may have attended in the United States.
Once You’ve Been, You’ll Always Want to Go Back
I have attended the Frühlingsfest many times over the past 20 years. The atmosphere is electric, and it never disappoints. It is hands down one of the best parties I’ve ever experienced, and I’ll always go back. I can honestly see myself, one day, as one of the many octogenarians who show up on Mondays for half-price chicken and discounted beer, enjoying the more traditional fest songs that obligate you to link arms and sway in unison, rather than the high energy dance beats that bring the younger crowds to their feet (or to stand on the fest bench). But by then maybe Rihanna and Beyoncé will be the “oldies” tunes, so I may need to keep dancing and jumping. Of course, it is very likely that classics like Country Roads and Summer of ‘69 will still be on the set list. So there’s that.
Overview
I will do my best to explain the structure, customs, and atmosphere. In short, imagine that Ron Swanson was hired to organized a state fair. Yep, the Frühlingsfest is a libertarian paradise. Here, drinking beer is not a sin that requires warning labels, signed liability releases, and hidden from minor children. Beer festivals are a very public, cultural celebration in plain view, and everyone is welcome.
Structure
Tent Reservations
The only place where reservations are recommended is in the large beer tents. The word “tent” is actually an inadequate misnomer, though. These structures are constructed over a matter of several weeks, twice per year (spring and autumn. But these are unlike any tent you’ve ever seen. Over-engineered? Maybe. It’s Germany!
With their steel I-beam skeletons, solid wood walls, and detailed interiors, these would be permanent structures anywhere else in the world, but in Germany it’s a tent. For an excellent time lapse video showing the constuction of one of these tributes to the beer gods, check out the Göckelesmaier short video below from 2013.
Drinking Age
Anyone of legal drinking age is welcome to sip, nurse, slurp, or chug 1 liter (34 ounce) steins of “Festbier” from 11am to 11pm daily (closing is 1-hour later on Fridays and Saturdays). Because the Germans actually believe in liberty and individual freedom, the drinking age for beer and wine is 16 years old. It’s 18 for spirits or hard alcohol. So yes, some of the patrons may look on the young side, but some Americans still remember the days when the drinking age was 18. My dad used to tell me a story about how he drank beer with his math teacher during his senior year of high school - my, how times have changed.
Open Floor Plan
Dancing on long, narrow wooden fest benches is highly encouraged. These benches are designed to seat five guests shoulder-to-shoulder. So each fest table seats 10. When the party really gets going, few people sit - maybe the more seasoned guests stay seated on the wings, but if you’re in the middle of the tent, you’re likely balancing on a narrow plank of wood that is most likely NOT bolted to the ground. Somehow, injuries are extremely rare. It makes me recall Psalm 116:6: “The Lord watches over the simple [e.g., children and drunks]; I was brought low, and He saved me.”
It’s a Song-a-Long
German beer festivals are the bastions of 80s rock anthems, top-40 bangers, and traditional German “schlager” music (a mix of pop, drum machine, country, and crazy, native to German, and at least one verse consists of “la-la-la” so anyone can participate). I was not joking about Summer of ‘69 or Country Roads. You will definitely hear them. In the case of Country Roads, it’s been appropriately Germanized, which means it’s been anointed with a catchy bass beat and the obligatory “la-la-la” verse. It’s really perfect for when one has lost the ability to formulate fully coherent sentences but still wants to participate in the sing-along.
Customs
The Frühlingsfest in Stuttgart is the largest, funnest, and best festival in Germany and Europe because of its customs. These customs distinguish it from other large-city beer festivals. If you’ve been to Munich’s Oktoberfest, you know that there are some red-line rules that are vigilantly enforced by large security staff. In Stuttgart, the party is a bit more welcoming and laid back. Security is still excellent, but given the less global - and subsequently less misbehaved makeup of the guests - the need for Munich-scale security is obviated.
Dance Anywhere
Dancing in the isles is welcome, so long as you don’t interrupt the servers - people are thirsty and hungry. In Munich security might scold for loitering or not being at your assigned table.
Drink Anywhere
You do not need a table reservation - or even to be seated at your table - to get a beer. This is another major distinguishing trait from Munich. In Munich, servers require patrons to have a wristband and be seated at their table before they can place a beer order. But in Stuttgart you can stand anywhere and order a beer and the jovial staff with bring it to you. So nice.
Easier to Find a Seat
Once the reserved guests are seated, the tent managers will allow patrons without reservations to start filling up seats. The fact is some people with reservations don’t last more than an hour or two. Moreover, it is still customary to welcome strangers to occupy unfilled seats at your table, though it is admittedly tougher earlier in the night and easier as the evening goes on. People loosen up, as you can imagine.
Smokers Are Not Shamed
Smoking is not allowed at the tables (I’m not saying it doesn’t happen), but if you smoke, you can usually enjoy a break with like-minded friends on the outside wings of the main hall, usually near the restrooms of course. German cigarette machines require age verification via a European identity card. If you don’t have an EU ID, you may need to politely ask a local to use theirs. Otherwise, there are often kiosks within the beer tent that sell cigarettes. I actually appreciate how reasonable accommodations are made for people who choose to smoke. The main party is smoke-free, but if you partake, you’re not excluded, badgered, or shamed for your adult decisions.
Cocktails Too!
Most tents in Stuttgart have one or two actual bars. Again, this does not exist at Munich’s Oktoberfest (though there is a wine tent). If beer isn’t your jam, order a bottle of local Riesling, Silvaner, Lemberger, or a sekt (German sparkling wine). Don’t like wine? Then belly up to a bar and have a cocktail. The standards are represented - Jack, Jim, José. Try a semi-exotic “Fliegende Hirsch” or “Flying Deer” in German), which is a Jaeger-bomb. Or an Aperol Spritz. Or go for a shot. Try an obstler (mixed fruit schnapps - it’s pretty hardcore) or a Williams Biernenschnapps, a delicious pear eau de vie.
Atmosphere
The Frühlingsfest is also the largest, funnest, and best party in Germany and Europe because of the atmosphere. Not everyone really wants to do the beer tent thing. But who doesn’t love roller coasters, cotton candy, and bumper cars?
Rides
Contestant: “German amusements for 800, please”
Host: “Today’s daily double. They go perfectly with rollercoasters, bumper cars, go karts, and zero-gravity and spinning tea cup rides?”
<buzzer>
Contestant: “What are huge beer festivals?”
Host: “Correct”
To my knowledge, this question has never appeared on Jeopardy, but now you’re ready when it does.
If you need a break from the tent action, the rides are a great distraction. In fact, a good friend of mine would disappear at least once or twice during a normal day at the fest. She was actually sneaking out to do a few rides before returning to the tent for another beer. Needless to say, she has a powerful constitution. She could probably be a Navy SEAL.
The rides are great for families with kids. Even though this is a beer festival, this is also Europe. Families are welcome. Strollers are everywhere.
Also, there are not many countries in which I would feel comfortable riding a “temporary” rollercoaster or zero gravity ride. But this is Germany. The engineering is sound.
Feats of Strength and Skill
Shooting sports are another seemingly incongruous activity at a beer festival, but once again, #liberty. After a few liters of beer, it’s a good challenge to see how many 1-inch clay stars you can shatter with a bee bee gun.
Better yet, why not get behind the wheel? Not an actual car on the road; a bumper car or a go kart. The bumper cars are bumpy and the karts are fast, fun. Want to drive in the opposite direction of traffic. Go for it. For a country known for rule following, this is a cherished opportunity to let loose and crash into others.
Feeling strong? Why not pick up a large wooden hammer and play some “high striker”, a century-old form of strong-man game. I bet you can’t ring the bell 20 feet (6 meters) in the air. I can. Sometimes.
I find it very amusing that these types of activities are generally frowned upon with alcohol consumption, but somehow it works really well here. It’s a well organized and controlled environment.
WHO ATTENDS?
The Frühlingsfest is less international than the beer festivals in Munich, though there is still a substantial American military presence in Stuttgart, so you will find “Amis” (an affectionate pejorative for Americans). But the vast majority of attendees are Germans, and especially locals from the State of Baden-Württemberg.
The Frühlingsfest is for Everyone
During the day families with babies and small children are enjoying the rides and biergartens. As I mentioned above, the older crowd prefers the morning shift where more traditional festival songs are played and you find early week discounts. But plenty of older patrons are found at the evening shift, which is why I consider these beer festivals a unique cultural melting pot. Multiple generations, people from all economic backgrounds, sitting closely together under one roof, listing to the same music, singing the same responses to the band leader, and toasting each other with glasses of liquid gold - ein Prosit, ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit (cheers, cheers to the warm, cozy, comfortable feeling!)
Corporate Events
Moreover, all manner of companies reserve tables to bond with staff and to entertain clients. These tables are often in calmer, sequestered lodge sections, perched above the main floor. The wait staff is prompt and professional, and sometimes there are special services reserved for these corporate tables.
Eat, Drink, and Fun
The following are our recommendations:
Courtesy of Göckelesmaier Festbetriebs GmbH
EAT
Göckele (Rotisserie Chicken).
Göckele is one of the signature dishes at the Frühlingsfest. This moist, succulent, and flavorful chicken is rotated on open heat until perfectly golden brown. The crispy skin has a proprietary seasoning that is insanely delicious. It’s traditionally served with yellow, southwest German potato salad (in my honest opinion, far superior to other versions that use obscene amounts of vinegar or mayonnaise). This is a must-try dish for anyone visiting the festival.
Schweinshaxe (Pork Knuckle)
If you like pork, then Schweinshaxe is an absolute must. Many cultures in Europe prepare this dish, but the southern Germans do it the best. Look for the “haxe” with crispy skin (they are cooked on a spit, but then deep fried before serving). The skin is like a crispy pork rind. Truth be told, I was grossed out as a kid when my dad would order it. But now I see the light. The meat on the inside is tender and piping hot. Traditionally, the side is a bread or semolina dumpling with brown sauce.
Bretzel (Pretzel)
Cliché. No way. An authentic, fresh German festival pretzel will blow your mind. Crispy on the outside, warm and doughy inside, it was meant for pairing with beer. Even the huge pretzels are only about $5, which is one fifth what you would pay at biergartens in Washington, DC for a far inferior product.
Maultaschen (Swabian Ravioli)
Southern Germans (Schwäbische Leute) are traditionally catholic, which means no meat during Lent. To get around this, the monks rolled up their meat in pasta dough and put it in soup, steamed it, or sauteed it. Brilliant. Put some caramelized onions on top, it is a top-5 comfort food.
Courtesy of Göckelesmaier Festbetriebs GmbH
DRINK
Festbier (festival beer).
These beers are specially brewed for the spring and fall beer festivals. They have slightly higher alcohol content - usually 5.8-6.3% ABV rather than 5 or 5.5%. It has a rich, deep golden color (as opposed to the very traditional Märzen, which is darker). At Frühlingsfest, and the Wasen/Volksfest in the fall, the beer is so incredibly fresh. One of the best beers you’ll ever have.
Weissbier (wheat beer)
For those who like a fuller mouthfeel, you may prefer a wheat beer., or Hefeweizen (yeast-wheat). It’s also called Weissbier (white beer). Notes of yeast, fresh dough, and bananas, weizen’s signature is a beautiful golden, cloudy, unfiltered hue.
Radler (shandy)
Radler is recommended for those who are not huge beer fans but want something refreshing and super easy to drink. It looks like any other beer, so nobody will know you’re only drinking half the amount of beer. You can order a sweet radler (“Süss”) made with carbonated lemon-lime drink (like 7-Up or Sprite, but the Germans call it Limonade). Alternatively, you may order a dry radler (“Sauer”) made with a less sweet mixer and sparkling water. Radlers are also preferred on day 2 of your fest experience when you really don’t want to drink any more beer, but you need to get back on that horse.
Weissweinschorle (white wine spritzer)
A spritzer mixes alcohol and sparkling mineral water. The Schwäbisch white wine spritzer usually uses the white wines Riesling or Silvaner. Refreshing, light, and perfect if you don’t want to feel bloated from the beer. Weissweinschorle are legendary in central Europe - usually a summer beverage but very refreshing any time the party heats up.
Alcoholfreies Bier (alcohol free beer)
The non-alcoholic beer market has exploded in Germany, largely because the quality is finally excellent. If alcohol isn’t your thing, or if you need to moderate your intake, you can still enjoy yourself with a delicious zero alcohol brew. Dinkelacker makes a good alcohol free beer, but my local favorite comes from Rothaus.
Obstler (mixed fruit schnapps)
Many tents offer a kiosk where you can buy any assortment of schnapps or sugary shooters in small bottles. The neon colored schnapps have low alcohol and taste like candy, or worse. If you drink these, you are usually compelled to bang it upside down on the table, stick the cap to the end of your nose, and shoot it, clutching the bottle with only your teeth. But I’m not a teenager anymore, I think, so I prefer the traditional “white lightening”, which is made from a mixture of orchard fruits that didn’t make it into pies, cakes, or preserves. This mixed fruit schnapps is Obstler. It is not really for the faint at heart.
Courtesy of Göckelesmaier Festbetriebs GmbH
FUN
Festzelt (Fest Tent)
There is no place on earth like a proper German beer festival tent. Upon entering, you can’t wipe the grin off your face. Envision the best party you’ve ever been to, then turn the volume up to 11. The tents offer many options, from quieter corner tables to enjoy conversations with family or friends, to luxury boxes for corporate guests, to the main floor in direct line of sight of the party band.
Table reservations are always a safe way to guarantee entry, but it's not the end of the world if you don’t have a wristband in Stuttgart.
There are two shifts: morning from 11am to 4pm (11:00 to 16:00), and evening from 5pm to close (17:00 to 23:00 or 00:00). On weekends the tables are usually fully booked, but early in the week those without reservations can usually get in without difficulty. Invariably, even on peak days, patrons begin to peel off after a couple hours and their tables become available.
Biergarten (Almhüttendorf - the meadow hut area).
This is a common area open to anyone, in addition to its own traditional tent fashioned after an alpine chalet. There are several beer and food vendors, as well as DJs and live music performances. Yet another unique aspect of Stuttgart’s fest that has no parallel in Munich.
Carnival Attractions
Ferris wheels, bumper cars, fast rides, spinny rides, roller coasters, zero gravity drops, absurdly high circulating swings with views over the surrounding area, haunted houses, you name it. For kids, there’s cotton candy, ice cream, and the robotic claw game that is impossible to win and takes all your money.
Traders Market
You may think this is an odd venue for a flea market, but then you would be wrong. Sometimes one realizes that they immediately need a new belt, kitchen utensil, or a cell phone case. You’re in luck. You can also find household goods, jewelry, art, tea, herbs and spices, cosmetics. In short, if the fest were year-round, you would never have to leave this blessed place.
THE TENTS
The Frühlingsfes offers five tents with a maximum capacity of about 5,000 people each. Access is technically free, but a reservation guarantees your entry and a seat at a table. The following links are helpful:
Stuttgart Frühlingsfest website
Göckelesmaier (the “Chicken Tent”)
Almhütte (the meadow hut)
Grandls Hofbrauzelt (Grandl’s main brew tent)
Zum Wasenwirt (to the meadow host)
Die Almhütte Royal (the royal meadow hut)
How to Get There
Transportation
Please don’t drive. Public transportation in Germany is excellent, clean, safe, inexpensive, and very timely (compared to the US). Moreover, whereas police rarely construct roadblocks and alcohol checks during the year, enforcement always goes up during beer festivals.
A group day ticket in Zone 1 on Stuttgart’s public transportation network is around 11 Euros. That covers 5 people regardless of age for the entire day, unlimited rides, until 7am the following day. You get a little discount if you download and use the VVS application on your smartphone.
The Frühlingsfest website provides some basic information about how to get to the fest, but a google map below will help you orient yourself.
[insert Google Map]
Hotels
I recommend the following hotels in Stuttgart:
EmiLu Design Hotel - A modern boutique hotel in the very heart of the city.
Hotel Zur Weinsteige - A traditional feel with an excellent gourmet kitchen and exceptional local wine list
Le Meridien (a Marriott property) - A very comfortable and convenient hotel near the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) and the large public park (Schlossgarten). Very nice spa.
Hotel am Schlossgarten - Normally hotels across from train stations are avoided, but this is a five star hotel with a Michelin star kitchen. The hotel is under extensive renovation until 2025, so thereafter this may be an option for you.
I also recommend checking out Booking.com and Airbnb.
PRO TIPS
Buy “Tracht” (traditional clothing)
For a truly great experience, it is worth the investment to look the part. It’s also fun. A good quality pair of lederhosen will run you $250 to $300, depending on length and style. Usually these less expensive lederhosen are made from goat hydes. The high-end lederhosen run into the thousands of dollars, but they are made of genuine deerskin (super soft and luxurious).
For women, a dirndl is the traditional dress, but in recent years women have also enjoyed their own variations of lederhosen. Sales have taken off.
For men and women, a gingham/checked shirt is common. You will blend in.
Investing in Tracht can have certain benefits. True story, you may even get preference over someone in jeans and a t-shirt if you are wearing Tracht. It’s also a great Halloween costume or fun attire for other events, like St. Patrick’s Day - that’s another story.
We recommend that you check out Krüger (local) and Angermayer (Bavarian)
Dirndl Bows - What is the Proper Way to Tie a Dirndl Apron?
It is an established tradition that women tie the bow of their dirndl apron based on their relationship status. Here are the rules:
If the bow is tied on the right hip, as worn, the woman is taken (married or significant other);
If the bow is tied on the left hip, as worn, the woman is single and approachable;
If the bow is tied in the middle, this is a young girl (mädchen) or she has not known a man, so please move along and look elsewhere;
If the bow is tied in the back, the woman is either a widower or a waitress.
Beer protection
There is one very nice memento that I recommend picking up at the Trader’s Market, and that’s a wooden “cover” for your beer glass. This is a wooden disk (a “deckel”, which is a coaster in German), but it fits on top of your beer rather than under it. It’s very practical when you inevitably go to the restroom. You can have it personalized with your name, so it also helps to identify which beer is yours after a few hours inside the tent. Finally, it prevents things from falling (or flying into) your beer. I don’t leave home without it.
Songs to Know
Here are a few songs you might want to be familiar with:
Wahnsinn (Crazy). A classic.
Layla - an earworm that created understandable controversy in 2022 given its subject refers to a brothel madam (Cannstatter Wasen 2022).
Fliegerlied (the flying song) - popular with children, small and grown
Mama Laudaaa - homage to legendary F1 pilot Niki Lauda (what is the name of Nikki Lauda’s mom? Mama Lauda, Mama Lauda), a dialectical play on words that also means “turn it up!”
Jonny Däpp - another play on words; ironically däpp means “dummy” colloquially.
Bring an Expert
Eat Drink Fun consulting services include Custom Adventures, and we’re experts at German beer festivals. You don’t speak German? No problem. Need help with reservations or organizing your experience? Too easy. Check out our Custom Adventures options and contact us directly.
CONCLUSION
So there you have it. The Stuttgart Frühlingsfest is the largest and best spring festival in Germany and Europe. If you want to learn more about this unique event, please feel free to reach out directly. It’s @eatdrinkfun on social or info@eatdrinkfun.com.
