Everything you need to know about crashing the world’s largest Volksfest.
Oktoberfest is back . We ’ve function two long geezerhood without guzzle liters - upon - liters of that bready , toasty amber beer while cheering along with some millions of merrymaker , swaying to traditional Bavarian drinking songs and oompah remixes of ‘ LXXX rock ballads between meals of roast chicken , Schweinshaxe , sausage , and more roast chicken . There arewomen being spun on a “ Devil ’s Wheel”andmen hopping and slap their shoe in chorus . It ’s beautiful in all its kitchy chaos .
Because this is the first festival since 2019 — this twelvemonth operate from September 17 through October 3 in Munich ( along with many other replica festivals around the US and the world)—we thought it ’d be smart to cover the basics . So we met up with a smattering of the fete ’s staff member , waitresses , breweries , recollective - time party - goer , and local Müncheners for their advice on navigating the crowds of more than 6 million citizenry expected to make their mode to the Bavarian capital . Here ’s what to have it off about attending the Wiesn .
Find the tent for you
The festivities take place at the famed Theresienwiese , a straggle 31 hectare lawn where you ’ll find oneself 17 big tents ( enough to fit 8,000 + people ) , 21 modest tents , tent for household , a wine-colored collapsible shelter , and an entire section called “ Oide Wiesn ” dedicated to Oktoberfest as if it be the nineteenth hundred . None of the tents demand ticket and entry is free . However , do n’t expect to happily skip from tent - to - collapsible shelter with no issues . While the fete opens at 9 am , it ’s normal for tent to shut by mid - day due to overcrowding . So if you ’re traveling in a large chemical group , consider split up — actually , definitely split up .
If you were in good order prepare and made a booking , great ; follow it . If not , there are some rules . For starters , do n’t kick about the line ; that ’s what happens when you do n’t have a resy . second , do n’t sit down at any open tabular array , but require if it ’s been book . If not , great . You have a seat . Also , definitely make indisputable you ’re only ordering and drinking from the particular collapsible shelter you ’re sit down in . No snagging beers from one collapsible shelter and lend them to your seat in another . This will get you scolded .
Next , impart hard cash . Not all tent deal in credit cards , so stash away a few hundred euros , so you do n’t finish up hurl through a crowd of 100,000 + people , only to wait in line at an ATM for an 60 minutes alongside hundreds of other people who made the same mistake you did .
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Now , bet on the vibe you ’re seek , there ’s certainly a tent that offers it . At the famed Käfer , you ’ll encounter the who’s - who of the socialite scene . It ’s where association football club Bayern Munich , A - listers , and your German celebs cling out . A similar VIP scene exists at the Paulaner Festzelt . At the famed Höfbräu and Löwenbräu sites , expect a bite of tone down riot and international guests . Life at the Augustiner collapsible shelter is a snatch more familial and local . In the Oide Wiesn ( which we extremely recommend ) , it ’s all about custom and gemütlichkeit , a place where you ’ll see age - old ride and darling sing - a - longs as well as grandchildren sipping froth off their grandparent ’s beer mug . Those planning on visit the Wiesn for a few day or more can enjoy a different experience each trip-up rather than just feverishly hunting for a hangover .
What should I wear at Oktoberfest?
Part of the playfulness of Oktoberfest is the dress , but to the purist , there ’s a massive difference between a traditional Tracht ( Lederhosen and Dirndl ) and dress - up . “ It ’s not a carnival , it ’s a traditional fete . bribe a decent costume and not that cheap stuff you’re able to get at the train station , ” say Michaela , long - fourth dimension staff member at Löwenbräu - Festzelt , and her mother , a former Oktoberfest waitress for 33 years .
So how can you recite what ’s legit and what is n’t ? Fabric , cut , and price . A Dirndl , for model , should always treat the knee . Lederhosen made of charge plate is straight up aweless . “ A existent outfit has its price , ” say Kerstin Jungblut , a local Münchener and wind at Paulaner am Nockherberg brewery ( founded in 1634 ) . “ It ’s better to go garmented ordinarily ; nobody handle about that . ” But everyone makes play of the bad copies .
There ’s also a subtle secret to the way you tie your Dirndl proscenium . “ Women who wear the obeisance of their apron on the right hand , these madam are married ! , ” says Jungblut . “ iteration on the left mean single . ” It ’s up to you how you use this knowledge .
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Know the drinking etiquette
As much as films like Bierfest portray Oktoberfest as some mammoth drunken stupor in which million of hoi polloi are drown in beer and slosh through beer tents , the reality is quite different . Now is not the time for sculling . That ’s why we have tailgates . “ Such actions endanger your health , and you ’ll be throw out straight off , ” said the Paulaner Festzelt . “ You ’ll be kicked out , ” say another occupant , who has attended over twenty . “ But that does n’t mean I have n’t done it . ”
Another tell - story sign of the zodiac of amateurism is taste to slip the famous Maßkrug . During the last Oktoberfest , 96,912 mugs were confiscated . And because this is the first one since , the urge this year is surely firm . The Son of advice , though , is don’t — mostly because it ’s a 360 euro fine and peradventure up to a year in prison . But also , you realize you’re able to just buy one , veracious ?
Perhaps more important than the drinking etiquette is the religious service . These staff member are service some 6 million the great unwashed , carry 8 million beers , 500,000 roast Gallus gallus , 60,000 sausage balloon , and dealing with who - know - how - many intoxicated son of a bitch . “ Everyone works for themselves , ” said Michaela , who , during Wiesn , works 16 straight days and more than twelve hours each day , and she ’s been doing this since 1997 .
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Unlike eatery waiter , waitstaff like Micahela are not pay a rate , but rather by a per centum of revenue from the goods they serve to the table . Because of this , tent - hopping with your beer is quite unfriendly , as servers like her drop off money that way . She also punctuate the importance of tip , saying , “ Our earnings count on tips and the turnover rate in your inspection and repair area . ”
One of the biggest irritations is “ When guests can only put up a little beer , ” say Paulaner Festzelt . “ They obstruct a mesa for the whole evening without delivering just sales . ” So if you ’re seated in a collapsible shelter , be sure to deplete and toast up ; otherwise , give someone else your seat .
In general , the drink rule are pretty simple : no dormancy , vomiting , or general aggression . When the band starts playing “ Ein Prosit , ” you must stop what you ’re doing , look each board - teammate in the center , and drink . One long - time visitant warns against “ mixing a fresh beer with an onetime beer , ” as it ’s sacrilege to the monks who created these elixirs some 500 years ago .
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Another visitor warns against “ underestimating your drunkenness before hopping on the carnival ride . ” The beer is more or less 6 % alcohol and sneaks up on you like a midnight Jägerbomb , so tread cautiously . Remember , Oktoberfest is a marathon , not a dash , and if you do retrieve you ’ve started off a bit potent , that ’s why the Wiesn Lords provided us with succulent roast chicken as well as the belovedSpeibecken , aka the “ puke sinkhole ” in the bathrooms .
What else should I do in Munich?
There ’s no such thing as an thoroughgoing leaning of thing to do in and around Munich . you could pass your days suckle a hangover at world - course of instruction museums like theAlte Pinakothek , Kunsthalle , orMuseum Brandhorst . Or stroll around theEnglish Garden , where you may mosey by the Formosan pagoda , watch the surfer at the Eisbach , and discontinue for a drink at the priming ’ beer garden . About thirty minutes from the urban center center is theNymphenburg Palace , a sprawl Baroque period residence build in 1644 . From the castling ’s immaculate fresco in the Great Hall to the bedroom of King Ludwig II and the colorful gardens , a stop consonant here offers a fascinating facial expression at Munich ’s former royalty .
Obviously , you ’ll also want to feed ( and drink ) as much as humanly possible . A good start dot into Bavarian cuisine isViktualienmarkt . The 200 - year - old , loose - air market in the city center ( just a Harlan Fisk Stone ’s throw from the famed Marienplatz and its Glockenspiel ) suffice up Weisswurst sausage balloon , Leberkäse , homemade soups , sour pickles , Alpine cheeses , pretzels , invigorated succus , and more . There ’s also a pleasant , shady beer garden where visitor can savor the vivacious setting .
Those looking to savour the breweries beyond the festival ’s beer tent can intercept by the centuries - older breweries likePaulaner am Nockherberg , Schneider Brauhaus , or the famedHofbräuhaus . For a modern-day glimpse into Munich everyday - lifetime , travel through city districts like Glockenbachviertel or Schwabing and enjoy the international fare , indie boutique , and cocktail barroom . Arguably the most “ Munich experience ” in the metropolis is simply plant yourself along the Isar river for a child’s play and people - watching during the sundown .
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When you ’re finally tuckered out from all the eating and imbibing , Munich ’s law of proximity to the Alps in the south lends itself to the stark day - tripper . Hikers can trek their way in - and - around Berchtesgaden and search sky - high views over the Königsee . If you ’d still like Alpine panormas but prefer not to hike , hop on the caravan to Garmisch - Partenkirchen and take the cable car up to Zugspitze , Germany ’s highest mint . WWII buffs should view head trip to Dachau compactness camp or north to Nuremberg for a expression at the famed trial sites .
Of course , Munich — a stunningly sensational metropolis in itself — is just a short journeying from Germany ’s Romantic Road , where you could enjoy a sojourn to the “ Disney Caste,”Schloss Neuschwanstein , and timber - redact fairytale villages like Rothenburg ob der Tauber . Munich and Oktoberfest is just a set in motion pad for a noteworthy holiday .
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