Oktoberfest 2026 preparations faced a major last-minute challenge when operator Alexander Egger let the July 3 deadline expire without signing his contract for the small tent "Münchner Stubn". Munich officials are now launching an emergency search for a replacement operator to ensure all festival slots are filled.
Egger and his wife have run Münchner Stubn since 2022. The tent seats about 440 guests and serves roast chicken and duck. Munich required all 2026 tenants to sign contracts by 11:59 pm on July 3, but Egger missed that deadline.
Egger's lawyers told officials he was giving up the site, but he himself has not commented publicly on the decision.
Egger is pushing for a Europe-wide tender process for all Wiesn spaces, arguing that the city's current allocation system unfairly limits competition. He previously sued over the allocation of larger venues like Schützenlisl, Schottenhamel, and the Paulaner Festzelt. Another one of his legal challenges about the tent allocation dispute is scheduled to be heard by the Bavarian Supreme Court on September 11.
Guests and staff of Münchner Stubn received cancellation notices over the weekend. The change affects only one small tent among dozens at the festival. Visitors with reservations at Münchner Stubn should expect those bookings to be cancelled and should look for alternative tents. Oktoberfest 2026 still runs on schedule, opening September 19.
Munich mayor Dominik Krause said the city plans to award the vacant plot soon, possibly next week. A new operator will still need a fire safety plan, a technical inspection, and construction documentation before opening.
Klaus Bartl, who runs the Thalkirchen campsite, is reportedly next on the city's waiting list after being rejected in May for insufficient points. He may set up a different concept, called Flösserstadl, rather than continue the Münchner Stubn brand. Neither Bartl nor the city has officially confirmed this.
The decision on the Münchner Stubn tent replacement is expected within days, while the broader dispute over how Okotberfest tent spaces are awarded will continue in court later this year.