Germany Comes to Kokura Again This Year! Kitakyushu's Largest "Kokura Oktoberfest 2026" to Recreate the Munich Experience
The "Kokura Oktoberfest 2026" will be held in Kokura, Kitakyushu, from May 22nd to 31st. This event, which recreates the world's largest beer festival, recorded its highest attendance in 2025 and will evolve further this year. It features seven German beer brands, including "BRLO" and "RIGELE" making their debut in Kokura, authentic German cuisine, and live performances by a German folk band.
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- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 22:00
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Kokura Oktoberfest 2026, a summer tradition in Kokura, Kitakyushu, will be held for 10 days from Friday, May 22, 2026, to Sunday, May 31, 2026, at Katsuyama Park Lawn Square (Jonai, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu City).
This event is an experiential gourmet festival that recreates the "Oktoberfest," the world's largest beer festival, which boasts over 200 years of history in Munich, Germany.
In 2025, after a six-year hiatus, it attracted approximately 30,000 visitors, marking its biggest success ever. Kokura Oktoberfest 2026 will evolve even further.
■ Highlights of Kokura Oktoberfest 2026
① "BRLO" and "RIGELE," Brands Debuting in Kokura
"BRLO" is a brewery making great strides in Germany's craft beer scene. In Kokura, you can enjoy three types: "Hazy Weizen IPA," "Berlin Rotbier," and "Happy Pils."
"RIGELE" has been brewing beer for over 630 years, starting in 1386, which corresponds to Japan's Muromachi period. This time, they are offering "Weissbier."
② Seven Carefully Selected German Beer Brands Gather
In 2026, we will offer seven carefully selected German beer brands, including some making their Japan debut.
You can enjoy authentic draft beer, which is usually hard to find, along with German gourmet food such as sausages and pretzels, all at once.
● Japan Debut: Spring Limited "Erdinger Spring Lager"
The spring-limited lager beer "Erdinger Spring Lager" from "Erdinger," a leading German wheat beer brand, makes its Japan debut.
This limited-edition beer celebrates the arrival of spring, characterized by a refreshing taste and a moderate malty richness.
Its light aroma and crisp aftertaste are perfect for the warm spring weather and seaside locations.
This rare opportunity to taste it in Japan is one of the major highlights of this event.
● Japan First Landing! "Weihenstephaner IPA"
This is a super rare limited-edition beer created by Weihenstephan specifically for Japan. Japan first landing! An IPA style, which is rare in Germany, is born in a German style.
● Kokura Debut! "BRLO Hazy Weizen IPA"
A hybrid of Weizen and IPA! The pinnacle of Berlin craft white beer, imported exclusively! Ripe fruit aroma and refreshing citrus scent! Smooth texture and delicate mouthfeel, above all, juicy and easy-to-drink modern Weissbier!
In addition to these, Kokura Oktoberfest is the only place in Kitakyushu where you can enjoy seven beer brands, including "Arcobräu," an aristocratic brewery from Bavaria, the home of beer, and "Kamba," a pioneer in the German craft beer scene.
Beer brands appearing at Kokura Oktoberfest 2026 (in alphabetical order):
- Arcobräu
- Weihenstephaner
- Erdinger
- Kamba
- Schwarzbräu
- BRLO
- Riegeler
◆ German Food Essential for Beer
The venue will be bustling with traditional German dishes and gourmet foods that will keep the beer flowing!
- Meisterwurst 4-sausage platter
A platter of four representative German sausages: Bratwurst, Frankfurter, Weisswurst, and Currywurst.
- Garlic Butter Sauce Oysters in Shell
Steamed oysters from Hiroshima Prefecture with fragrant garlic sauce, still in their shells!
- Spare Rib Steak
We've deboned super, super, super big spare rib steaks to make them easy to eat. The juicy pork is seasoned with a sweet and spicy sauce and spices, making it addictive with one bite! It's super impactful, so buying this is sure to liven things up!
- Bavarian Specialty "Weisswurst" (White Sausage)
An Oktoberfest classic "white sausage." Fluffy and juicy. A mild white sausage perfect for gulping down with beer.
- New York Style Margherita
An authentic modern New York-style Margherita pizza that pursues "deliciousness" with free-thinking. The cheese and sauce are baked upside down, so you can enjoy an unprecedented integration of sauce and cheese. The dough, made with carefully selected flour and long-term low-temperature aging, is sweet yet aromatic, with a light texture that makes you want to keep eating. It's definitely a perfect match for beer!
◆ German Band and Rich Stage Performances to Liven Up the Venue
Live performances by a German folk band will be held daily. The audience-participatory stage, where you sing, dance, and toast to the music, is a must-see.
This event is an experiential gourmet festival that recreates the "Oktoberfest," the world's largest beer festival, which boasts over 200 years of history in Munich, Germany.
In 2025, after a six-year hiatus, it attracted approximately 30,000 visitors, marking its biggest success ever. Kokura Oktoberfest 2026 will evolve even further.
■ Highlights of Kokura Oktoberfest 2026
① "BRLO" and "RIGELE," Brands Debuting in Kokura
"BRLO" is a brewery making great strides in Germany's craft beer scene. In Kokura, you can enjoy three types: "Hazy Weizen IPA," "Berlin Rotbier," and "Happy Pils."
"RIGELE" has been brewing beer for over 630 years, starting in 1386, which corresponds to Japan's Muromachi period. This time, they are offering "Weissbier."
② Seven Carefully Selected German Beer Brands Gather
In 2026, we will offer seven carefully selected German beer brands, including some making their Japan debut.
You can enjoy authentic draft beer, which is usually hard to find, along with German gourmet food such as sausages and pretzels, all at once.
● Japan Debut: Spring Limited "Erdinger Spring Lager"
The spring-limited lager beer "Erdinger Spring Lager" from "Erdinger," a leading German wheat beer brand, makes its Japan debut.
This limited-edition beer celebrates the arrival of spring, characterized by a refreshing taste and a moderate malty richness.
Its light aroma and crisp aftertaste are perfect for the warm spring weather and seaside locations.
This rare opportunity to taste it in Japan is one of the major highlights of this event.
● Japan First Landing! "Weihenstephaner IPA"
This is a super rare limited-edition beer created by Weihenstephan specifically for Japan. Japan first landing! An IPA style, which is rare in Germany, is born in a German style.
● Kokura Debut! "BRLO Hazy Weizen IPA"
A hybrid of Weizen and IPA! The pinnacle of Berlin craft white beer, imported exclusively! Ripe fruit aroma and refreshing citrus scent! Smooth texture and delicate mouthfeel, above all, juicy and easy-to-drink modern Weissbier!
In addition to these, Kokura Oktoberfest is the only place in Kitakyushu where you can enjoy seven beer brands, including "Arcobräu," an aristocratic brewery from Bavaria, the home of beer, and "Kamba," a pioneer in the German craft beer scene.
Beer brands appearing at Kokura Oktoberfest 2026 (in alphabetical order):
- Arcobräu
- Weihenstephaner
- Erdinger
- Kamba
- Schwarzbräu
- BRLO
- Riegeler
◆ German Food Essential for Beer
The venue will be bustling with traditional German dishes and gourmet foods that will keep the beer flowing!
- Meisterwurst 4-sausage platter
A platter of four representative German sausages: Bratwurst, Frankfurter, Weisswurst, and Currywurst.
- Garlic Butter Sauce Oysters in Shell
Steamed oysters from Hiroshima Prefecture with fragrant garlic sauce, still in their shells!
- Spare Rib Steak
We've deboned super, super, super big spare rib steaks to make them easy to eat. The juicy pork is seasoned with a sweet and spicy sauce and spices, making it addictive with one bite! It's super impactful, so buying this is sure to liven things up!
- Bavarian Specialty "Weisswurst" (White Sausage)
An Oktoberfest classic "white sausage." Fluffy and juicy. A mild white sausage perfect for gulping down with beer.
- New York Style Margherita
An authentic modern New York-style Margherita pizza that pursues "deliciousness" with free-thinking. The cheese and sauce are baked upside down, so you can enjoy an unprecedented integration of sauce and cheese. The dough, made with carefully selected flour and long-term low-temperature aging, is sweet yet aromatic, with a light texture that makes you want to keep eating. It's definitely a perfect match for beer!
◆ German Band and Rich Stage Performances to Liven Up the Venue
Live performances by a German folk band will be held daily. The audience-participatory stage, where you sing, dance, and toast to the music, is a must-see.