It all started at the Super Bowl LII party. Lucy, my favorite German friend, was over and we’ve always talked about flying to Munich to attend the original Oktoberfest. After one too many drinks of beer and liquor, we finally sealed the deal by booking plane tickets right then and there. It was settled. We were officially going to the largest beer festival in the world. No regrets!
WHAT IS OKTOBERFEST?
Oktoberfest is the largest beer festival held annually in Munich, Germany during which more than six million people from around the world attend. It lasts between 16 – 18 days and runs from late September through the first weekend of October. Theresienwiese is the official hosting grounds of the event and contains amusement rides, traditional food stalls, and carnival games. The main events happen inside the 14 main tents, each with a unique layout and hosts between 5,000 – 11,000 people. Millions of liters of Oktoberfestbier are served to guests outfitted in traditional Bavarian dirndls and lederhosens. Live bands play a variety of traditional and modern day mixes while people carelessly dance on tables and gulp down beers. I had one of the best times of my life and would recommend everyone to attend Oktoberfest in Munich at least once in their life. Keep reading to the end for an in-depth guide on attending Oktoberfest.
HISTORICALLY
Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese in 1810 and invited citizens of Munich to attend festivities held on fields named Theresienwiese in front of the city gates. The locals abbreviated it to Wiesn, which translates to grass and is the nickname for Oktoberfest. The celebration of the marriage ceremony has since continued as an annual Oktoberfest tradition.
ATTENDING OKTOBERFEST MUNCHEN 2018
We attended Oktoberfest in Munich during opening weekend and decided it was best to start lining up at 6am in hopes to to secure a table. We ended up being the third group to the gate. It was a cold morning so we had to prevent ourselves from freezing to death by picking up hot fresh bread and coffee at the nearby bakeries.
The gates were set to open at 9am and thousands of people were already lined up behind us by 7:30am. Once the gates opened, everybody started sprinting all at once towards the main tents to secure tables. It was every man and women for themselves! The tables were quickly conquered so its best to plan ahead for the fastest ones in your group to rush to the tables first.
We were able to secure a table at the popular Hacker-Festzelt tent where the ceilings were decorated with the blue and white Bavarian Sky.
At noon, Munich’s Mayor will tap the first keg at the Schottenhamel tent to kick off the celebration. You will not be able to order beers until then but you can order food and non-alcoholic drinks. If you want to get traditional then you should try eating a delicious weisswurst sausage with pretzel and mustard before noon. Remove the sausage casing before consuming.
The whole place goes wild once the festival starts. Remember to stare down your counterparts in the eye when you prost (cheers)! Not only is it rude but you will also be cursed with seven years of bad sex if you don’t. But doesn’t matter, had sex. Amirite??
Beers and drinks only come in a masskrug or stein which holds 1 liter or 33.8 US fl oz. Each brewery from Munich brews their own special beer called Oktoberfestbier and are only available during Oktoberfest. They are not your typical weak American staples. These exclusive beers are 6% ABV on average and will give even the biggest drinkers a run for their money. It’s a marathon so try pacing yourself if you want to survive all day.
Feeling courageous? Standing on the table with a full masskrug in your hand is the universal signal for preparing to chug down the liter of beer. Thousands of people will be staring at you cheering you on to complete the challenge. If you succeed, you’ll be popular for the day. If you fail, expect waves of boos and stuff thrown at you. This was by far favorite form of traditional entertainment!
Another great thing to do is go out and explore the festival grounds and visit multiple tents. Every tent has it’s own unique decor and comes with it’s own vibes. Be warned though! Alcohol is only sold at the tents and the servers will only serve you if you are sitting at a table. Once you lose your seats, it will be very difficult if not impossible to find another table. Security occasionally stop allowing people to go into the tents so once you’re out, you may not get back in. Some tents do contain mini cocktail bar areas which doesn’t require seating. Have a Jägermeister or five.
Thanks for the amazing time, Oktoberfest München! I’ll try to be back next year. Who’s ready to join me?
OKTOBERFEST MUNICH TRAVEL GUIDE
WHERE IS OKTOBERFEST?
Oktoberfest is located in Munich, Germany at Theresienwiese. If you’re lost then just follow the mass crowds of people in traditional Bavarian outfits!
ENTRANCE FEE
The festival grounds and tents are all free to enter.
TABLE RESERVATIONS
Reservations for tables begin in December and fills up quickly. You can only reserve whole tables for 10 people and must buy beer & food coupons in advance for 20 – 80 EUR per person depending on tent and time. To make a reservation you’ll need to contact the tent directly via email or phone.
WITHOUT TABLE RESERVATIONS
Unreserved tables at tents are free but are very difficult to find. Tents occasionally stop allowing guests to enter because of overfilling. Without a place to sit, you cannot order beer or food. Plan to arrive at the festival around 6am -7am during weekends to potentially grab a seat.
BEERGARDENS OUTSIDE OF TENTS
There are no reservations accepted for tables at the beergardens. The atmosphere is more laid-back and you can smoke and bring outside food, which are forbidden inside the tents.
HOW MUCH DO BEER AND FOOD COST?
Below are average prices ranges and may increase through the years. Please note in Germany, it is common to put a deposit down on glasses and bottles. You will receive your deposit back once you return the items back to the vendor.
- Beers: 11 – 12 EUR.
- Non alcoholic drinks: 8 EUR
- Snacks: 5 EUR.
- Meals: 11 – 15 EUR.
LIST OF 14 MAIN OKTOBERFEST TENTS
There are 14 main tents and 20+ smaller ones. Each tent has it’s own individual personality and atmosphere. Tents hosts a sorts of people but some tend to be more family focused, international heavy, local heavy, celebrity heavy, older crowds, younger crowds, and/or mixed. They also differentiate through food, music, and events. Regardless, the best tents are the ones where you can get a seat and order drinks with your friends and family! Below are the 14 main tents to help you get started with links for more information.
- Armbrustschützen-Zelt: Featuring a crossbow competition with a shooting range that attracts archers from all over Germany.
- Augustiner Festhalle: The beers here are still served out of traditional wooden barrels. Many regulars reserve seats here so tables are difficult to find.
- Bräurosl: This tent has it’s own yodeler who answers to the name “Bräurosl”. The first Sunday is Gay Sunday.
- Fischer Vroni: If you’re tired of all the red meat then show up here for fish. a huge LGBT party is hosted here on the second Monday.
- Hacker Festzelt: Famous for their ceiling designed with the blue and white Bavarian Sky. The tent can be partially opened on a sunny day to show the actual skies. This is the first tent planned on attending.
- Marstall: The newest addition to the tents. It is smaller and family friendly. The stage resembles a carousel with horses around it.
- Hofbräu Festzelt: One of the largest tents and an international favorite. Hofbrau is extremely popular among Americans.
- Käfers Wiesn-Schänke: A favorite among locals and international celebrities. It stays open later than the other tents and is a popular spot to end the night if you can sweet talk your way through.
- Löwenbräu Festhalle: One of Germany’s most famous beer and recognizable by the giant lion. Popular among the older crowd and local football fans.
- Ochsenbraterei: The name translates to ox grill. You’ll find entire oxen turning on spits..
- Schottenhamel: This is the oldest tent on the grounds. The mayor taps the first keg here to begin the celebration.
- Schützen-Festzelt: Located off the main drag and contains the Wildever bar. You can find liquor and wine here to get your party started, or ended.
- Weinzelt: Serving mainly wine and champagne with seatback chairs instead of benches.
- Winzerer Fähndl: The largest tent holding up to 11,000 people. You can spot this place by the giant rotating masskurg in the front.
WHAT TO WEAR TO OKTOBERFEST
No Oktoberfest is complete without wearing traditional Bavarian clothing. Dirndls are for women while lederhosens are for men. In this day and age, you can wear whichever you want. You can buy these in advance online or by finding local shops around Munich. They can be quite expensive with lederhosen ranging from 80 – 200 EUR while dirndls can be had for 40 EUR. I was able to find a great quality and real leather lederhosen on sale at a local shop for 80 EUR. You can also rent them for about 40 EUR a day but I think it’s better to just buy a new one if you’re going for more than 1 day.
OKTOBERFEST HOURS
Opening Day: 12pm – 10:30pm (gates opens at 10am)
Weekends and Holidays: 9am – 10:30pm
Weekdays: 10am – 10:30pm
*Käfers and Weinzelt stays open until 1:00am
WHERE TO STAY
Accommodations fill up quickly as most people tend to book a year in advance. Munich has a great public transportation system including trains, buses, taxis and Uber. The downside for staying further away is the frustration of waiting for these transportation since it’ll be hectic during Oktoberfest season. The closer you are to the Wiesn festival grounds, the more expensive. It’s almost impossible to do this cheaply other than staying with a friend or couch surfing. Here is a list of options to get you started.
HOTELS
BEST OPTION
GENERAL TIPS
- Stay hydrated. Any large festival with large amounts of alcohol is a recipe for disaster if you do not replenish yourself with plenty of electrolytes. Stock up on water bottles and sport drinks at your accommodation.
- Get to the tents as early as possible if you want to get a table.
- Bring cash. Cash is the main form of currency here.
- Set a meeting point in case someone gets separated and has poor cellphone signal. Popular spots are the rotating masskrug and lion.
- Pick a tent and stay there as long as you can. Once you leave you may not be able to find another seat. You cannot order beer unless you’re seated at a table. This is especially true on weekends.
- Some tables has reserved stickers on them but they are for after a certain time. You can sit there until they kick you out.
- For the most part, many people are happy and friendly and it’s good to make new friends. There are also plenty of drunk aggressive people. Ignore their bad attitude and avoid getting into a fight. It doesn’t make anything better!
- Large bags and purses are not allowed in the tents. Leave anything you don’t need at home. You don’t want to potentially lose your belongings when you’re drunk!
- Go with the flow and have fun. Make friends and learn the culture. This is one amazing festival you’ll never forget!
Lol