Munich Events

Munich Museums

Munich Oktoberfest

How to get there: Theresienwiese; U-Bahn Theresienwiese

Admission: No

Opening hours: 09:00-23:30 Sat & Sun, 10:00-23:30 Mon to Fri;

The last beer is sold at 22:30 in the beer tents. The wine tent is open until 01:00 and sells beer until 00:15.

The first Oktoberfest was held in Munich in 1810 as a horse race to celebrate the marriage of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig with Princess Therese von Saxe-Hildeburghausen.

In the following years the Oktoberfest in Munich was held annually as a autumn fair which has grown over the years into an enormous event that attracts more than 6 million visitors from all over the world.

(Most of the Oktoberfest visitors are dressed in traditional costumes; the girls in a Dirndl, men in leather trousers)

Nowadays the main attraction of the Oktoberfest folk festival in Munich are the huge beer tents that are erected by the breweries. The Oktoberfest beer is served in a tradtional one liter glass which is called 'Maß'.

Dates of the Octoberfest: Mid September until beginning of October. The exact dates for the coming years 2011 and 2012 are:

17^th September to 03^rd October 2011

22^nd September to 07^th October 2012

It is highly recommended to make a reservation for the beer tents in advance as they become fully booked quickly. You can make a table reservation directly with the Oktoberfest beer tents or breweries from December onwards. The reservation is free of charge but you have to buy coupons for beer and food from €20-80 up per person depending on the time and the tent.

It is also possible to enter the beer tents without a reservation but you will need some patience in waiting. Arrive early, in general before 14:30 during weekdays and 10:00 during the weekends, as the tents will close the doors when they are full for people without a reservation. In general beer is only served when you have a seat.

More traditional Bavarian music is played in the tents until 18:00 followed by party music during the evenings.

The biggest beer tents at the Oktoberfest are:

Armbrustschützen-Zelt

Augustiner Festhalle

Bräurosl

Fischer Vroni

Hacker Festzelt

Hippodrom

Hofbräu Festzelt

Käfer's Wies'n-Schänke

Löwenbräu Festhalle

Ochsenbraterei

Schottenhamel

Schützenfesthalle

Weinzelt

Winzerer Fähndl