Six million people, 16 days, and a litre of beer that costs more than your hostel dorm: Munich's Oktoberfest rewards those who understand how it actually works.
Annual. Always 16 days ending the first Sunday in October. 2026: 19 Sep – 4 Oct.
Oktoberfest runs for 16 days on the Theresienwiese: a large open field 2km from Munich's central station: and draws 6–7 million visitors from around the world. The festival grounds hold 14 large beer tents, each operated by one of Munich's traditional breweries: Hofbräu, Augustiner, Paulaner, Spaten, Hacker-Pschorr, Löwenbräu, and others. Entry to the grounds is free. Entry to the tents is also free. The constraint is seating.
This is the single most important practical fact about Oktoberfest, and the one most first-timers get wrong: to sit down inside a beer tent and order a Mass (1 litre of beer), you need a table. To get a table during peak times (Friday evenings, Saturdays, any weekend), you need a reservation. Reservations for the main tents: Hofbräuhaus, Paulaner, Augustiner: are released in January and February. They sell out. Without a reservation you can still enter the tent, but you must wait for a standing space or a spot at an unreserved table, which on busy days means standing outside.
The 1-litre Mass costs £13–17 in 2026 depending on the tent. One round for a table of 6 is £80–100. This is not a cheap event for drinking. The food: Hendl (roast chicken), Brezn (pretzels), Schweinebraten (roast pork): costs £10–20 per plate. Budget accordingly: a full day at Oktoberfest including 3–4 Maß and food runs £60–100 per person.
The Oide Wiesn (literally 'Old Oktoberfest') runs within the main festival grounds with a separate entrance fee of around £4. It has traditional Bavarian music rather than pop and modern covers; the crowd is older and more local. If the main tents on a Saturday feel overwhelming, the Oide Wiesn is a genuine alternative. The smaller tents at the edge of the grounds: Weinzelt (wine tent), Fischer-Vroni (fish): are less crowded and do not require reservations on weekdays.
Party hostels within reach of Munich's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Munich Airport is 40km north-east of the city. The S1 and S8 S-Bahn trains run directly to the Hauptbahnhof in 40–45 minutes. From the Hauptbahnhof, Theresienwiese is 2 stops on the U4 or U5, or a 20-minute walk. Direct trains from Berlin (4h), Frankfurt (3h 15min), and Prague (5h 30min) make Munich accessible as part of a longer European trip.
Day-by-day breakdown
The festival opens at noon on the first Saturday with the Anzapfen ceremony in the Schottenhamel tent. The Mayor of Munich taps the first barrel; two taps means he has done it cleanly, more means he needs practice. This is followed by a ceremonial parade of the brewery horse-drawn wagons. The first Saturday is the most chaotic of the 16 days: arrive by 9am for the parade. The tents fill immediately after the Anzapfen.
Weekday Oktoberfest is a different event from weekends. You can walk into the Augustiner or Paulaner tent at noon and find a seat. The crowd is more local: Munich residents, German day-trippers, European tourists who knew to come midweek. Less rowdy, more festive. The same beer, the same food, but you can actually hear the oompah band. For first-timers, a Thursday afternoon into evening is the recommended experience.
Friday from 5pm and all day Saturday and Sunday are reservation territory in the main tents. Without a reservation you join the queue outside the tent and wait for standing space or an opening in the unreserved sections. This can take 1–2 hours on peak days. The atmosphere inside is genuinely extraordinary once you are in: the entire tent singing, beer steins raised, oompah music at high volume: but you need patience or a reservation.
Realistic costs per person · Verified March 2026
Prices in GBP. Festival week prices may be higher than standard rates. Prices verified March 2026.
Other festivals and parties in the same region
Pre-booked private transfers and shared shuttles for your arrival.
