It’s all about Beer, Bratwurst and celebration! The Munich Oktoberfest is one of the best known events in Germany.
Learn more about it, here we go:
The one and only real Oktoberfest in Munich
Where to go at the Oktoberfest in Munich
How to get to the Oktoberfest in Munich
Food and drinks at the Oktoberfest in Munich
What to wear at the Oktoberfest in Munich
The one and only real Oktoberfest in Munich
Break out your lederhosen and dirndl, it’s time for Munich, Germany’s huuuge (and entry free) Oktoberfest, or ‘Die Wiesn’ as the locals call it. If singing to oompahs, drinking delicious beer and dancing on tables is your idea of fun, this event can’t be missed. This year’s fest will be held from 22 September until 7 October.
The Oktoberfest is one of Bavaria’s most popular festivals with over 6 million people in attendance and over 7,5 million Maß beer last year. One “Maß” beer is the german description for 35.20 uk fl oz of beer in a certain glass. On the 42 hectar big Theresienwiese you can get lost. Almost like the over 4000 pieces of lost and found items last year 😀
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Where to go at the Oktoberfest in Munich
One of the best parts of the Oktoberfest: The entry to all the tents is for free. You don’t need any ticket to get in there. A tip: Arrive as early as possible or even better during the week. It’s really best to go in the morning to run no risk of not being able to enter the crowded tents and not being seated. Those without seats won’t be served any beer! :-O
Also keep in mind that cash is king. Drinks and food are paid cash directly.
As Oktoberfest visitor you won’t have it easy: There are over ten big tents to choose from – each one better than the other. Let’s dive into our tent-guide with a selection of our favorite ones.
Hofbräu Festzelt
Seating capacity inside: 6,898
Seating capacity outside: 3,022
Fun Fact: Hofbräu guests come from all over the world, it’s the counterpart to the Hofbräuhaus located in the city of Munich.
Augustiner Festhalle
Seating capacity inside: 6,000
Seating capacity outside: 2,500
Fun Fact: The tent is considered to be the friendliest of all at Oktoberfest.
Schottenhammel
Seating capacity inside: 6,000
Seating capacity outside: 4,000
Fun Fact: Everything starts inside this tent. On the opening day the mayor of Munich will tap the first keg and call out “O’zapft is” confirming that the tapping was successful. After this all the other tents may begin to serve.
Hacker Festhalle
Seating capacity inside: 9,300
Fun Fact: the slogan says it all “When surrounded by clouds and stars with a cold Maß in the hand, you may feel as though you are truly in a Bavarian heaven”
Löwenbräu Festhalle
Seating capacity inside: 5,700
Seating capacity outside: 2,800
Fun Fact: Don’t be scared when the Lion King is roaring every couple of minutes 😀
Fischer Vroni
Seating capacity inside: 2,695
Seating capacity outside: 700
Fun Fact: Here you can taste delicious grilled fish on a stick!
Winzerer Fähndl
Seating capacity inside: 8,450
Seating capacity outside: 2,450
Fun Fact: The Fähndl is decorated with great care and authentic Bavarian details.
Pschorr-Bräurosl
Seating capacity inside: 6,200
Seating capacity outside: 2,200
Fun Fact: You can find a tent-own yodeler here!
Schützen Festzelt
Seating capacity inside: 5,100
Seating capacity outside: 1,400
Fun Fact: The Niederalmer music group provides for an authentic atmosphere as well as the sucking pig prepared in bavarian manner in malt beer sauce, served with potato-salad.
Käfer’s Wiesn Schänke
Seating capacity inside: 1,000
Seating capacity outside: 1,900
Fun Fact: Celebrities from all over the world come to that comparatively small tent at the Wiesn as the gourmets are truly at home here.
How to get to Oktoberfest in Munich
First, go up again and play our Memory Game to win a travel voucher to Munich this year! For real now, as the Theresienwiese is located in the center of Munich there are several possibilities to go to the Wiesn:
with the S-Bahn:
S1 – S8 to Hackerbrücke
S7 and S20 to Heimeranplatz, and then U4 or U5 to station Theresienwiese or Schwanthalerhöhe
with the U-Bahn:
U3 or U6 to Goetheplatz or Poccistraße
U4 or U5 to Theresienwiese or Schwanthalerhöhe
with the bus:
MetroBus-Line 53 to Schwanthalerhöhe
MetroBus-Line 58 to Georg-Hirth-Platz, Beethovenplatz or Goetheplatz
MetroBus-Linie 62 to Hans-Fischer-Straße, Poccistraße or Herzog-Ernst-Platz
StadtBus-Line 134 to Theresienhöhe or Schwanthalerhöhe
With the Streetcar / Straßenbahn:
Line 18 or 19 to Holzapfelstraße or Hermann-Lingg-Straße
Line 16 an 17 to Hackerbrücke
You want to experience all of that? Discover our cheap offers to Munich:
Food and drinks at the Oktoberfest in Munich
In true German form there will be plenty of food and drink. The Oktoberfest is filled with many food and drink tents! As not everyone is well-versed in German gastronomic vocabulary we’ve created the following Oktoberfest essentials menu so you know exactly what to order. Vegetarians and calorie conscious folk be forewarned!
No, we haven’t forgotten the drink part of the menu, but that’s easy, if you’re at Oktoberfest it’s most likely because you enjoy beer. To sample a Maß (one liter stein) of Wiesn Märzen (special beer brewed for Oktoberfest) there are six breweries that set up tents across the fairgrounds: Spaten, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, and Löwenbräu. Where you can find those to taste?
- Augustiner beer: Augustiner-Festhalle, Fischer-Vroni
- Paulaner beer: Armbrustschützenzelt, Winzerer Fähndl, Käfer Wiesn Schänke
- Spaten-Franziskaner beer: Marstall, Schottenhammel, Ochsenbraterei/Spatenbräu-Festhalle
- Löwenbräu beer: Schützen-Festzelt, Löwenbräu-Festzelt
- Hacker-Pschorr beer: Hacker-Festzelt, Pschorr-Bräurosl
- Hofbräu beer: Hofbräu Festzelt
The beer will be served from 10am to 10.30pm on weekdays and from 9am to 10.30am on saturdays, sundays and holidays.
A Maß, the liquid gold, will cost you between 9,70 and 10,10€.
For that prices you will get the best beer you have ever tried. It’s no coincidence that Bavaria has the best beer in the whole wide world. There have been strong regulations about brewing beer and how to keep the quality. The oldest law? From 1516: Only water, hops and barley should be used to brew Bavarian beer!
What to wear at the Oktoberfest in Munich
Here comes the fun part (next to all the beer, of course): Almost everyone (90% of visitors) dresses in traditional Bavarian outfits, or Trachten as the locals call it. (Even outside of the Oktoberfest celebrations people tend to dress up like this, by the way). This is one of the key pieces of the Oktoberfest experience!
If you don’t feel like dressing up for it, you can definitely wear regular clothes and still have a great time.
Are you considering taking part yourself? You will definitely blend in better, feeling less like a tourist. Have a look at those nice outfits to ensure you know how to dress for Oktoberfest in Munich.
Women wear traditional Dirndl (Deern-dul) dresses, men wear leather shorts – Lederhosen (Lay-der-hozen).
You can definitely find and buy your outfit in Munich or even cheaper in several retail options from online stores. Tons of options to find your individual Bavarian flavor – regardless of budget, colour and style.
You want to experience all of that? Discover our cheap offers to Munich:
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