Oktoberfest
What: The worlds largest beer and folk festival, the iconic Oktoberfest see’s more than 6 million people consume more than 8 million litres of beer over the course of two and a half weeks, with a series of large and small beer tents, offering every traditional Bavarian beer and wine available, being specially erected to help add to the party atmosphere.
Beginning with the traditional Ozapft in the Schottenhamel festival hall – an opening ceremony in which the Munich mayor taps the first beer barrel to fill up the first beer glass accompanied by a 12 gun salute, the festival also features fairground rides, rollercoasters, ferris wheels and a series of food stalls selling the best of German cuisine, which, combined with the donning of traditional Bavarian outfits and folk bands, makes Oktoberfest a unique celebration of Bavarian culture.
When: Despite the name, the majority of Oktoberfest actually takes place in September, with the event starting in mid-September and running to the first Sunday of October, where the traditional gun salutes mark the end of the festival.
Where: The Munich Oktoberfest takes place in the fairground area of Theresienwiese, with the Hackerbrücke, Theresienwiese or Goetheplatz stations all providing easy walkable access to Oktoberfest. On top of this look out for a series of fairgrounds, beer tasting and beer halls in Munich, all of which add to the Oktoberfest experience.
Duration: Oktoberfest lasts from 16 to 18 days, with the first day of the festival – the O’zapft – allowing entrants from 10am before the official start of Oktoberfest and the beer drinking begins after mid-day. From there the larger beer tents are open from 10am-11:30pm during the week, and open at 9am on the weekends, with the smaller tents open from 10am to 11pm – leaving lots of time for drinking !
Tickets: There’s no cost or tickets required to enter Oktoberfest. A couple of the tents will charge entry fees and of course expect to pay for beer or drinks. For those going in larger groups a table reservation is recommended especially on the weekends, with a list of tents and a reservation form available at (https://www.oktoberfest.de/en/beer-tents/reservations-at-oktoberfest)
Need to Know: There are both crowd control measures and security checks for anyone entering Oktoberfest, with only small bags permitted. Bavarian costumes can be picked up en-route to the festival – but they can be pricey – so best to get your lederhosen in advance.
More Information: the official Oktoberfest website containing exact dates, tent reservations and performance information is at (https://www.oktoberfest.de/en).
