Munich may own the trademark on Oktoberfest, but Dubai has turned it into a proper seasonal institution. Come October, the city's hotels and pubs swap their usual playlists for oom-pah bands, load up on bratwurst and pretzels, and pour Paulaner by the stein. The 2026 line-up spans big hotel halls to a polo club garden, with entry-level deals starting at around Dhs20.
The heavyweight is the Grand Hyatt Dubai, running October 8 to 25 in Dubai Healthcare City. It's one of the longest-running and most authentic Oktoberfests in the region, flown-in Bavarian band Die Kirchdorfer providing the soundtrack alongside imported meat spreads and beer by the litre. Weekend brunches start at Dhs269, and weekday all-you-can-eat feasts from Dhs229 — so you don't need to wait for Saturday to get your sauerkraut fix.
At the 25Hours Hotel One Central, Ernst Biergarten marks its fifth year of festivities, running Thursday to Sunday until October 31. It's the most menu-driven of the bunch: a Stein and Sausage combo for Dhs150, a sharing platter for four at Dhs750 featuring a pretzel tree and a beer tower, and a brunch from Dhs300 covering smoked salmon tartare, roasted pork, dumplings, spaetzle and apple pie.
If you're quick, Fairmont The Palm's Bavarian Garden wraps up on October 4. It takes over the Flow Kitchen and the alfresco Seaview Garden with bratwurst, weisswurst, schnitzel, strudel and kirschtorte, plus a two-hour unlimited Bavarian beer package at Dhs250 per person.
Further down the price curve, The Eloquent Elephant at Taj Dubai in Business Bay is pouring steins of Bavarian beer for Dhs79, with beer-plus-two-courses combos at Dhs179 (dates weren't confirmed at the time of writing, so check ahead). Horse & Hound at Al Habtoor Polo Club runs until October 31 with Bavarian-themed dishes from just Dhs20 — easily the cheapest way to get a taste of the action. And for something closer to a pub night than a food event, McG's by McGettigan's in Al Barsha trades its usual Irish craic for Munich-flavoured snacks, beer and beats until October 24.
Why bother flying to Munich when the lederhosen comes to you? Dubai's take works well if you want Oktoberfest atmosphere without the ten-person table bookings, freezing tents or soaring Munich hotel rates. It's also a neat excuse for a autumn city break: warm beach weather by day, beer-hall partying by night. Just note that most events favour weekends, the big ones sell out, and licensed venues require guests to be over 21. Book brunches and packages in advance, especially for the Grand Hyatt and Ernst, which both run for only a couple of weeks.
