Every October, a corner of York Racecourse turns unmistakably Bavarian. Steins, bratwurst, an oompah band that will not let you sit still for long, and several hundred people who came for one drink and stayed for the whole evening. Yorktoberfest is now in its sixth year, and for 2026 it moves into a Big Top for the first time.
If you are thinking of coming to York for it, here is what you need to know.
The 2026 dates
Yorktoberfest runs across two weekends this year: Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October, and Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October 2026.
It takes place in the
Clocktower Enclosure at York Racecourse, Knavesmire Road, YO23 1EX — about a twenty-five minute walk from the middle of town, or ten minutes in a taxi.
It is an over-18s event.
What the evening is actually like
The format is simple and it works. Long trestle tables, steins rather than pints, and a live oompah band working the room. Between sets there is cabaret — this year featuring
Velma Celli, the York-based drag artist who has been a fixture of the city's nightlife for years and is very good at what she does.
There is food alongside the beer: bratwurst, pretzels and the usual hearty German fare. Lederhosen are optional but a surprising number of people commit.
The Big Top is new for 2026, and it changes the feel of it — a proper circus tent rather than a marquee, which should take the atmosphere up a notch.
Tickets and prices
Tickets start at
£25 for a standard individual ticket, which gets you unreserved seating. If you want to be closer to the stage with drinks brought to your table,
VIP individual tickets are £35.
Coming as a group? A reserved table of six is £150 standard, or £210 VIP. Tables go first, particularly on the Saturdays, so if there are a few of you it is worth deciding early.
Booking is through yorktoberfest.co.uk.
A few honest practical notes
- Do not drive. It is a beer festival. Taxis from the racecourse back into town are plentiful at chucking-out time but there is a queue — walking into the centre is pleasant if the weather holds.
- Eat something first, or eat there. Steins are larger than pints and the evening is longer than it feels.
- Dress warmly underneath. It is a tent, in Yorkshire, in October. Layers under the lederhosen.
- Book the Friday if you can. Saturdays sell out first and run busier. Friday has the same line-up with a little more room.
Make a weekend of it
Yorktoberfest is an evening, not a full weekend, which is rather the point — it leaves you a whole Saturday or Sunday to do York properly.
The morning after suits a slow start: breakfast on
Bishopthorpe Road, a wander round
Shambles Market, or a walk along the
city walls if the air is doing you good. The
Museum Gardens are five minutes from the centre and quiet on an autumn morning. And if you want to sit somewhere warm with something restorative,
Fossgate has the best run of independent bars and restaurants in the city.
Mid-October is also one of the nicer times to see York. The summer crowds have gone, the Christmas market has not started, and the city feels like it belongs to the people who live here again.
Where to stay in York
Yorktoberfest is far better as an overnight than a dash for the last train — nobody enjoys watching the clock through the final set.
Violet Homes looks after a collection of apartments and holiday homes across York, including a good number of one-bedroom apartments and places suited to couples, most within an easy walk of the centre. We manage every property ourselves, so if something is not right you are speaking to the people who can actually sort it.
Booking direct with us is always the best rate — there is no booking-site commission sitting on top of the price. Have a look at what is free for your dates at violethomes.co.uk, and if you cannot see what you are after, get in touch and we will tell you honestly what else we have.
Both Yorktoberfest weekends fall in a busy stretch of the autumn. If you are coming, book the room before the tickets.
