Bayern Munich & Bavaria: How Oktoberfest is at the heart of the Bundesliga giants' deep connection with their home region

Bayern are intrinsically linked not just to the city of Munich but the whole state of Bavaria, which covers the entire south-east of Germany, with the capital Munich in the south and Nuremberg further north its major cities.

You need only take a closer look at Bayern's proud identity to understand the extent to which their home region is very much stitched into the fabric of the club.

'Bayern' is literally the German word for Bavaria, and one of their nicknames is Die Bayern (The Bavarians), while the distinctive white and blue diamond pattern that has formed the centrepiece of their crest since 1954 is actually the Bavarian flag.

The club's well-known motto Mia san mia, which you are likely to have spotted on social media, is Bavarian for 'we are who we are', and it's also the name of a popular song among their fans. Another widely-used catchphrase, Packmas, is a Bavarian phrase for the German 'Packen wir es', which translates to 'let's do it'. One of Bayern's most prominent ultras groups is also called Inferno Bavaria.

Thanks to the rise of social media, an increasingly popular aspect of Bayern's connection with the region of Bavaria is the club's Oktoberfest festivities - known locally as the Wiesn, Munich's 'fifth season' - between late September and early October.

Oktoberfest began in 1810 when the people of Munich were invited to celebrate Prince Ludwig's marriage to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Today, it's effectively a celebration of Bavarian folk culture.

It seems to be an unofficial requirement of playing for the club that you get into the merriment, and Die Roten have now been marking the occasion for decades. Scroll through the archives and you'll find photos of Bayern icons like Pep Guardiola, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Oliver Kahn and Lothar Mathaeus getting involved.

That means donning traditional Bavarian garb including lederhosen (leather shorts with breaches), the distinctive trachtenhemd and trachtenjacke shirt and jacket, trachtenschuhe shoes and maybe even a trachtenhut (traditional hat) and heading out to one of the specially constructed tents for a few pretzels and steins of beer.

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Explaining Bayern's involvement in the festival back in 2014, Bavarian Football Works wrote: "The players and staff of Bayern Munich have been attending the festival for years. Lately, the official visit has fallen on the final weekend. They can be found in the Kaferzelt tent, posing for pictures with a King Ludwig impersonator and doing some important team bonding over beer and pretzels.

"Bayern's connection with the festival doesn't end there. Since 2003 the club has had a strong partnership with Paulaner, one of the official breweries for Oktoberfest. Paulaner provides 100 litres of beer for every goal scored by a Bayern player and invites the team to celebrate in their tent every festival season."

The resulting photos always go down well, as the men's and women's teams, the coaching staff and their families go all out, although we're not convinced they actually get through that many steins as modern athletes focused on peak performance.

Speaking to the Bundesliga's official website about this year's event, Bayern's ex-Liverpool winger Luis Diaz said: "For me, Bayern is special. Oktoberfest is so big in Munich. Last year, I experienced it but not in the way I would've liked. I think this year I’m going to be a bit more into it, go with family and a brother over here.

"I'm going to try and enjoy it a lot more, get closer to the culture because it's really nice seeing all the people dressed up for Oktoberfest. It's amazing. It's a really nice event." He added: "A good party. A great event. Always lots of people. I'll dress up nicely."

Bayern have also celebrated their proud Bavarian culture on the pitch, and 2026 will be no different. Since the 2021-22 season, adidas have dropped a unique, one-off kit every year to mark the occasion, drawing inspiration from Wiesn and the heritage of both the club and the region.

However, the first time they wore a strip that honoured their Bavarian identity was actually 13 years ago. Describing the white and forest green 2013-14 away kit on their official website, Bayern wrote: "Like typical lederhosen, the shorts are brown and the white jersey completes the characteristic, traditional Bavarian look."

In 2021-22, the club launched it's first-ever one-off kit especially for Oktoberfest which was only worn in one match, a classy dark green and gold look with the traditional edelweiss flower wrapping around the badge. At the time, adidas said the shirt celebrated the city's "rich heritage with a look inspired by traditional Bavarian attire".

That shirt proved to be so successful that Bayern and adidas have continued to drop a special-edition Wiesn shirt every year since, including in dark red in a nod to classic Bavarian clothing, grass green to replicate the meadows associated with the season, and the introduction of a special Oktoberfest crest.

Traditional dress from the region has also formed a big part of Bayern's title celebrations down the years, and there's been plenty of those given they are serial, record-setting Bundesliga winners, or rekordmeister. In the past, their players have worn lederhosen to celebrate their triumphs, while it has also become a tradition to throw oversized glasses of beer over each other on the pitch.

adidas and Bayern have delivered again for Oktoberfest 2026, coming up with what is undoubtedly their boldest and most vibrant Wiesn kit to date. It features a dark base with an abstract, colourful all-over design that makes it look more like a work of art than a football shirt, while the special seasonal crest sits on the chest.

adidas say the floral look is "a modern interpretation of floral elements synonymous with the Wiesn", which take inspiration "from flowers traditionally associated with Bavarian culture" and celebrate "the season's vibrant atmosphere".

"Wiesn Season marks the time of year when the city transforms. Streets become busier, traditions move to the forefront and a unique sense of joy, optimism and freedom takes over the Bavarian capital," adidas said on the release. "Inspired by this annual cultural moment, the new FC Bayern 2026 Wiesn Jersey captures the spirit of the season and the connection between the club and its hometown."

Bayern's own statement says: "The new jersey combines traditional Munich style with a modern, confident design, celebrating everything that makes the Wiesn so special: a zest for life, community and diversity."

As is customary these days, the new shirt is accompanied by a lifestyle drop, including a cardigan carrying the same abstract pattern, a trachtenjacke-inspired black jacket and a black drindl dress.

Bayern's 2026 Wiesn Jersey made its on-pitch debut when Bayern took on Union Berlin on Friday night at the Allianz Arena, and it's available to buy now in selected adidas retail stores and online at adidas.

Bayern Munich 26-27 Wiesn kit Shop now