When San Miguel Beer throws a party, it doesn’t just pour — it overflows. Last September, more than 8,000 revelers crowded Okada Manila’s Crystal Pavilion for the 2025 Oktoberfest kickoff, a two-night spectacle of music, food, and free-flowing beer. The celebration marked 135 years of San Miguel brewing tradition, and it set the stage for an October full of festivities

At Okada, the opening toast came from San Miguel Brewery president Carlos M. Berba, brand ambassador Coco Martin, and Okada Manila vice chairperson Takako Okada. Guests sipped everything from the classic Pale Pilsen to new creations like Fruity Wheat Ale, Summer Ale, India Pale Ale, and Specialty Lager. A Draft Beer Mobile Bar Truck rolled into the venue to keep the taps flowing, while food pop-ups from Las Flores, Café Fleur by Chef Sau, Flipside Burgers, and Purefoods Deli kept stomachs as full as the pint glasses.

The music lineup rivaled a festival stage, with Rico Blanco, Lola Amour, December Avenue, The Dawn, Arthur Nery, Brownman Revival, and more keeping the crowd on its feet. Even athletes and legends joined the revelry. The newly crowned PBA All-Filipino Cup champions, the San Miguel Beermen, shot hoops with fans, while billiards icons Efren “Bata” Reyes and Django Bustamante invited partygoers to challenge them at the pool table

But the Manila party was only the beginning. The country’s biggest beer festival is now heading south. On October 18, Paseo de Santa Rosa in Laguna will take on the Oktoberfest spirit with Rocksteddy, Sunkissed Lola, Progeny, The Collars, and Parisukat performing live. Two weeks later, on October 31, the spotlight shifts to Cebu, where Queensland Manor will host Urbandub, December Avenue, Missing Filemon, Nikolay, and Kuwako

Since 2005, the Department of Tourism has recognized San Miguel Oktoberfest as the largest fiesta in the Philippines, and this year’s edition shows why. It isn’t just about beer. It’s about the collective energy when a crowd sings along to a favorite anthem, the taste of a new brew discovered with friends, the laughter shared over good food, and the keepsakes that linger long after the night ends.

From Manila to Laguna to Cebu, October is shaping up to be a nationwide toast — a celebration of music, camaraderie, and the enduring pull of San Miguel Beer.