Well, the title reveals everything. It’s all about the beer at this outdoor festival. Take a large number of brewery stands, give people plenty of seats and tables, and wait for things to take their natural course…
- Typically over 40 Austrian breweries
- Food & live music
- Taste your way through our regional beers
- 2025 dates: May 8-11
- Book a spot on a food / drink experience* in Vienna
- See also
- Super Bier Fest (Beer Culture Days)
- Ottakringer Bierfest
- Vienna KRAFT Bier Fest
- Vienna in May
The Wiener Bierfest
(Flying the flags for Austrian beer)
Austria is a land of mountains, lakes, and snow. And what do all the folk do when they come down from the mountains, out of the lakes, and off the snow?
They go for a beer.
Beer is part of the country’s fabric and always with a heavy dose of regional loyalty. Local breweries brew for the local population, even if some of those regional beers can be found throughout the land.
And, once a year, around 40 or so of these breweries join together for the Wiener Bierfest (Vienna beer festival) on the Am Hof square in the city centre.
The general standard of Austrian beer is high with very few of the bland corporate-type beers you may find in the UK or USA. And the list of breweries represented at the festival typically reads like a who’s who of the local beer scene.
We normally have the heavyweights like Gösser and Zipfer, major private breweries like Vienna’s Ottakringer (who have their own Bierfest across summer), and smaller breweries and craft brewers such as 100 Blumen or Schnauzer & Beagle.
As a result you find dozens of different beers at the Bierfest, varying from non-alcoholic versions through to hefty specialist creations with higher alcohol content. On my last visit, I found everything from simple Pils and Pale Ales to honey, chestnut and Earl Grey beers.
And while sales of the golden nectar form the centrepoint of the festival tents and stands, the event offers a few bonuses to keep us visitors happy.
For a start, you cannot live from beer alone (and believe me, I’ve tried). So expect plenty of food to go with the local beers. I spotted sausages and spiral chips, spare ribs, pulled pork, hamburgers and more on my previous trip.
Second, live musical entertainment typically appears late mornings and evenings.
(Some stalls offer special tasting opportunities. This flight of excellent Rieder beer came with a free hat, too. Yay!)
Third, enjoy the occasional show on stage, such as the official tapping of a new barrel. Cheers!
2025 dates, tickets & tips
The 2025 event is slated for May 8th to 11th with opening times of 11am to 10pm (9pm on the Sunday). Check the website for the latest information.
There’s no entrance fee; just wander around the stalls at your leisure.
You have to buy your beer, of course. Prices are not dissimilar to those in your standard city centre bars, but be prepared to pay a deposit on glasses.
How to get to the beer festival
The earliest rulers of Vienna made their home on Am Hof, which tells you just how central (and old) the square is. It’s a few bites of a Sachertorte from the cathedral, for example, and a popular location for markets and festivals.
Subway: Pop on the U3 line to Herrengasse and walk across. It’s also not far from the Schottentor (U2) or Stephansplatz (U3 and U1) subway stations
Tram/bus: The centre is tram-free, but the 1A and 3A buses go to Schwertgasse (or take the 1A or 2A to Herrengasse)
Address: Am Hof, 1010 Vienna