Bournevaria Oktoberfest returns to the BIC this weekend

Bournevaria Oktoberfest returns to central Bournemouth this weekend. The Bournemouth International Centre hosts three sessions between Friday 26 and Saturday 27 September 2026, running 12.30pm to 4.30pm and 7pm to 11pm, according to the organisers, who describe it as the largest indoor Oktoberfest celebration on the South Coast.

The format is the familiar one: long benches, steins of German beer, oompah bands and a dress code that leans heavily to lederhosen and dirndls. It is ticketed per session, and the Saturday evening is usually the first to go.

The same weekend as Arts by the Sea

The BIC sits on the West Cliff, and this weekend the town centre a few minutes' walk away hosts Arts by the Sea, the free festival of installations and performance in the Lower Gardens. The two make a full weekend: the gardens after dark on Friday, the BIC on Saturday, or the reverse. The town's evening economy has just kept its Purple Flag for a 16th year, which is a fair sign of how it copes with a busy Saturday.

Practical notes

• Eat first. Four hours of steins go better on a proper meal. The West Cliff and the town centre have the options; our guide to the best pubs in Bournemouth and the best restaurants has the ones within walking distance of the BIC.
• Stay within walking distance. The Flexiestays hotels are on the West Cliff, most within ten minutes on foot of the BIC, which means no taxi queue at 11pm. Where to stay in Bournemouth explains the geography.
• Check the session you have booked. The afternoon and evening sessions are separate tickets with separate entry times; the organisers publish the detail on their site.

For everything else on in Bournemouth this autumn, the events calendar has the full list.