What’s the best location for a beer festival? If you answered “in a brewery,” then award yourself a bottle of something golden and cold. In the case of the Ottakringer Bierfest, that location is the city’s giant Ottakringer brewery in the 16th district.
- Features Ottakringer’s standard beers, craft beers, and new editions
- Includes street food and other bonuses
- 2025 dates: Jun 26 – Aug 29
- Book a food or drink experience* in Vienna
- See also:
- Super Bier Fest (Beer Culture Days)
- Vienna Beer Festival
- Vienna KRAFT Bier Fest
- Beer in Austria
The Ottakringer beer festival
(Press photo © ALBA Communications)
As a long-time active observer of the Vienna beer scene (a task of great responsibility where I take a distinctly hands-on approach), I’ve become an admirer of Ottakringer, the city’s main brewery.
In recent years, this independent family business has added a craft beer arm to the product palette. And the brewery premises host all sorts of cultural events, such as the excellent Vinyl & Music festival.
The pinnacle of the annual calendar is probably Ottakringer’s own summer Bierfest (beer festival). I go every year with my neighbours.
The brewery forecourts fill with tables, benches, and beer counter(s), all spreading out in front of a stage.
But this is not simply an outdoor beer event.
First, while you can consume Ottakringer’s own standard products, their Brauwerk craft beer line produces a range of porters, pale ales, and more that make worthy additions to the thriving Viennese craft beer world.
Second, the stage serves more than just a decorative purpose, with weekly live performances from bands and singers as well as a weekly “free for all” evening when anyone can sign up on the day and perform a song or two.
Third, street food stalls offer something to wash down with the beer. Think the kind of snacks and meals that fit with Austrian beer culture (perhaps sausages, schnitzel and spare ribs) with little touches of eclecticism (perhaps trout burgers and veggie burgers).
(Earlier events featured regular guest breweries from around the world)
A few paid upgrade experiences round off the festival, such as something called beer yoga, which I’ve not had the pleasure of enjoying but certainly sounds intriguing.
2025 dates, tickets & tips
The 2025 festival runs from June 26th to August 29th.
Opening times last time out were Monday to Saturday, 4pm to midnight. But I await 2025 details at the time of writing.
Entry is free, but the beer and food obviously isn’t.
Look for special events that may take place on some days.
In 2025, for example, that Vinyl & Music festival mentioned earlier holds a Summer Nights special here across August 8th and 9th.
How to get to the beer festival
The Ottakringer brewery is in Vienna’s 16th district (called Ottakring), but easily reached by subway or tram.
Subway: take the U3 out to Ottakring station and walk down Ottakringer Straße back toward the city centre (or jump on a tram that goes in the same direction)
Tram: Take the 2 or 9 trams to Johann-Nepomuk-Berger-Platz, a stop practically outside the brewery. The 2 leaves from various stops around the Ringstrassen boulevard that rings the old town. The 9 leaves, for example, from Westbahnhof train station.
Alternatively, the 44 tram leaves from central Schottentor and goes out to Johann-Nepomuk-Berger-Platz too.
Address: Ottakringer Platz 1, 1160 Vienna | Website