Wiesn Song vs. Wiesn Hit
Oktoberfest 2025 in Munich – the world’s biggest beer festival is just around the corner. Millions of visitors from all over the world come for beer, pretzels, dirndls – and of course, the legendary Wiesn Hits. But this year, there’s a new player on the stage: the so-called Wiesn Song.
Sounds similar? Don’t get confused – the Wiesn Song is not the same as the Wiesn Hit. And that’s exactly the problem.
Wiesn Song vs. Wiesn Hit – what’s the difference?
Traditionally, the Wiesn Hit is created by the crowd itself. Visitors sing, dance, cheer, and suddenly one song becomes the Oktoberfest anthem of the year. Nobody plans it – it just happens.
But now, the new Wiesn Song will be chosen by an “expert jury.” According to the official announcement, it’s about “promoting new artists and authentic music from the region.”
Sounds good? Well, let’s take a closer look at the so-called jury:
- representatives of Munich’s big breweries,
- tent owners,
- and others1
In other words: the same people who already control much of Oktoberfest are now trying to control the music tooen.
Why the Wiesn Hit is so special
The beauty of the Wiesn Hit is that it’s organic. It doesn’t have to be about Oktoberfest. It doesn’t have to be Bavarian folk music. It just has to work – on the tables, with beer mugs in the air, and thousands of voices singing along.
Think of past Oktoberfest anthems:
- Atemlos durch die Nacht (Helene Fischer)
- Cordula Grün (Josh.)
- Layla (DJ Robin & Schürze)
None of these songs were written for Oktoberfest. But they became legends because the people made them Wiesn Hits.
That’s the big difference: the Wiesn Hit is a song by the crowd, for the crowd.at.
Our opinion: Nobody needs the new song and its competition
In the fine print of the new competition, it says:
“Important: This is not about the traditional Wiesn Hit, which will, as always, be chosen during Oktoberfest by the festival management.”
So now we have both: a Wiesn Hit (chosen by the audience) and a Wiesn Song (chosen by the jury). Confused already? We are.
What’s next? A Wiesn Poem? A Wiesn Painting Contest?
Our verdict on the Wiesn Song
Oktoberfest is alive because of its spontaneity, its chaos, and the energy of the people – not because of committees and controlled marketing projects.
- The Wiesn Hit remains the true anthem of the festival – unpredictable, wild, real.
- The Wiesn Song feels like yet another step towards commercialization and top-down control.
At Wiesn-Mates.com we believe: Oktoberfest doesn’t need an artificial anthem. It only needs the crowd to decide what’s worth singing
