Oktoberfest happens on the Theresienwiese, a 42-hectare meadow just west of Munich's centre, and despite the name most of it falls in September. The Munich mayor taps the first keg at noon on the opening Saturday — 'O'zapft is!' — and from then the tents serve from 10 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. at weekends until 10:30 p.m. Only Munich's six breweries are poured, in one-litre Maß glasses, and only at tables: standing drinkers are not served.
The fourteen big tents each have a personality. Hofbräu is the international party, Augustiner the locals' favourite, Schottenhamel is where the opening keg is tapped, Käfer's Wies'n-Schänke stays open later with a smarter crowd, and the Hacker tent's 'Bavarian heaven' ceiling is the prettiest room on the field. Reservations are for whole tables of eight to ten, are made months ahead, and come with food-and-beer vouchers rather than a fee — but a large share of every tent is unreserved, first come first served.
Getting a seat without a reservation is entirely realistic on a weekday before 3 p.m. Arrive when the tents open, walk in, and look for a table with space — sharing is the norm and the way you meet people. Friday evenings and Saturdays are when the tents close their doors by mid-afternoon because they are full. Budget generously: a Maß runs to around fifteen euros, a roast chicken about the same, and the servers rely on tips.
Munich hotels roughly double their rates for the fortnight and central ones sell out by early summer. Book flights and a hotel together as soon as dates are announced; Schwabing, Maxvorstadt and the area around the Hauptbahnhof keep you within walking or one-stop U-Bahn distance. A chauffeur from the airport is the calm way to start, and most tents are a fair walk from the nearest taxi rank at closing time.
Three things to get right
- Weekday lunchtime, no reservation, share a table.
- Bring cash; carry a small bag — large bags are banned from the grounds.
- Book the hotel the day dates are announced; rates double and central rooms vanish.
