Articles

 

Nowhere else on earth do so many people gather so gleefully, and so unironically, in the name of beer as they do at Munich Oktoberfest. While imitations have cropped up across Germany and far beyond, Munich remains the original and the most iconic home of the celebration, with a tradition stretching back more than two centuries. Each autumn, the Bavarian capital transforms into a theatrical blur of brass bands, pretzels the size of dinner plates, and parade-ready locals dressed in their best: men in crisp lederhosen, women in tightly laced dirndls, and occasionally, a twist on female Lederhosen. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned stein-hoister, here are seven things worth knowing about the world’s most famous beer festival.

 

1. The history 

When is Oktoberfest in Munich, and why does it start in September? Today’s festivities began as a celebration of King Ludwig’s marriage to the elaborately named Therese Charlotte Luise Friederike Amalie von Sachsen-Hildburghausen on the 12th of October 1810. The one-week celebration was thoroughly enjoyed by the locals, and the royal family decided to turn the party into an annual affair. Over the years, the duration increased and it moved into September primarily due to the weather. Theriesenwiese, the grounds where the fest is held, is named after the Crown Princess (Theresa’s Fields), though locals now simply call it “Wies’n”.

 

 

2. Dirndls

There are a handful of rules regarding how to wear a dirndl. It’s seen as tacky to wear the dirndl without a blouse underneath, and doing so marks one as a foreigner instantly. Blouses are usually white cotton, but other colors and varieties can be seen. Unattached ladies are to tie their apron ribbon in front on the left side, spoken for ladies on the right; Jungfrauen (virgins) or very young girls, in the middle, and widows and servers tie theirs at the back in the center.

 

If you don’t have time to get your tracht (costume) before arriving for Oktoberfest in Munich, you’ll be able to find pop-up shops pretty much anywhere around the old town or central station (München Hauptbahnhof) to get you suited and booted. Regular high street and chain stores often have a section for Oktoberfest garb, including C & A (some branches), New Yorker, and department store Kaufhof.

 

There are countless color and fabric options, and they don’t come cheap either. Most dirndls cost between 50 and 150 euros (with or without the blouse), but there are also higher-end ones starting at around 200 euros and personalized ones reaching into the thousands.

 

 

3. Lederhosen

Male lederhosen come in various shapes and sizes, but all have drawstrings at the back to give a little more room at the waist (presumably to accommodate all that beer). Lederhosen (leather pants) are the main Bavarian leather shorts and usually come in light or dark brown and stop slightly above the knee. Plattlerhosen are longer (usually closer to the knee) and are normally black. Bundhosen are longer still and are akin to Capri pants and have ties at the bottom around the calf.

 

Fun fact: Bavarian men rarely wash their lederhosen, as this adds to “the look”. Gentlemen often adorn their outfits with traditional alpine hats (tirolerhüte). A typical hat (hut) will often have a single pheasant feather on the side, or a bundle of feathers, and the bigger your feather bundle, the higher your social standing, apparently. Regular socks are commonplace, but you may also see men wearing Bavarian mid-shin wool leg warmers (wadlstrumpf), which are held up with an elastic or a piece of string.

 

 

PS: The best Oktoberfest Munich outfits are traditional ones. It’s a lot more fun dressing up in the traditional attire rather than normal clothing or, as many did, in matching t-shirts saying “Oktoberfest insert year here”. You blend in more with the locals when wearing the traditional items. Plus, when will your next opportunity arise to wear full-blown lederhosen?

 

4. The commencement

The festivities commence on the Saturday of the third week of September at 12 pm when the first kegs are tapped. No beer is to be served before this time, so thirsty partygoers will have to make do with spezi (a mix of Fanta and Coke) to quench their thirst until then. Once the beer starts flowing, it’s really amazing to see how many liter-filled beer glasses (maß) the servers can carry at once.

 

 

5. Tents and tables

The largest traditional Bavarian breweries, from Löwenbräu to Paulaner, each have their own tents at Theriesenwiese with differing atmospheres. Theriesenwiese, again, is the location of the Oktoberfest festivities in Munich. There are about a dozen tents, each packed with between 5 – 10,000 people inside and outside. Some tents focus more on entertainment with comedy shows and even yodeling.

 

Familiarize yourself with the following names: Armbrustschützenzelt, Augustiner-Festhalle, Fischer-Vroni, Hacker-Festzelt, Käfer Wiesn-Schänke (the one for celebrity-spotting), Kufflers Weinzelt, Löwenbräu-Festzelt, Marstall Festzelt, Paulaner Festzelt (the one with the big beer mug on top), Pschorr-Festzelt Bräurosl, Festhalle Schottenhammel, Schützen-Festzelt, Hofbräu Festzelt, and Ochsenbraterei. The latter three are the ones I have personally experienced.

 

At the Ochsenbraterei tent, around 117 enormous oxen are grilled during the festival. Staten beer is sold there, and there’s a fabulous upstairs area that offers a smashing view of the crowds below.  The Hofbräu tent is the most popular and thus, the most raucous. It’s also known to be the one with the most foreigners. Over 550,000 liters of beer are sold in this tent during Oktoberfest. Every year, the ceiling is decorated with 16,000 tonnes of hops, just so nobody forgets what the party is all about. Beer Angel Alosius hangs in the middle of the ceiling. Legend has it that he was a postman who died and was sent down to Munich to convey an important message. He made a stop at Hofbräuhaus for a Maß and another, and is apparently still stuck there. The Hofbräu tent has a dedicated standing area (Stehbereich) for those without a table, but even this requires a 5 – 6 am arrival to start waiting to be let in.

 

​For a much more laid-back, family-friendly approach, there’s “Oide Wiesn” or Old Oktoberfest. Guests are invited to party like it’s 1810 with Bavarian dancing and beer served in mugs made of stone. Oide Wiesn charges a nominal entrance fee for adults and zilch for kids.

 

6. Making reservations

Getting a table reservation for Oktoberfest in Munich is anything but straightforward, and for the most part, you don’t get served at all if you aren’t at a table. For this reason, some camp out from 5 am to stand a chance to get one of the few first-come-first-serve tables. Once all tables are full, tents typically shut their doors so you can’t come in. This definitely isn’t one of those “rock up and wing it” parties.

 

 

To reserve a table, one must contact the Oktoberfest landlords well in advance. They start accepting bookings for the following year pretty much as soon as the party’s over. You will get notified of the outcome of your booking around April. The reservation itself is free of charge, but each person is required to buy vouchers for a certain amount of food and drink (usually the equivalent of two beers and one chicken). Vouchers are to be collected from the landlords’ offices weeks before kickoff, in person at the tents on the day, or they can be mailed to any part of the world (for a fee). Reservations are also for a specific time frame and not for the full day (usually 3 – 4 hour time slots).

 

Many tables (for weekends and weekday evenings) are reserved months in advance by locals as landlords request a previous year’s customer number, so newbies, be warned. Reservations are taken for full tables of 8 – 10 people. Be sure to arrive at your table on German time and not a second later, as you’ll be forfeiting it.

 

My local friends unfailingly go each year for the opening weekend. Their ringleader, Björn, whom I met in Cuba over a decade ago, gets the same table and recognizes many of the staff now. If he were to skip one year, his regular table would be given to someone else, and that would be the end of it. Auf Wiedersehen. You might also want to start planning where to stay for Oktoberfest in Munich well in advance so that you’re not left with the dregs of available rooms. Hotel prices during this period are notably high.

 

 

7. The experience

Before the big party, you’ll find people on trains from different corners of the country on their way to Munich, armed with their coolers of beer, almost as if there won’t be enough when they get there. It is advisable to go earlier rather than later during the festival weeks when the weather is still somewhat mild, so you can really enjoy those cool beers. I had the best weather when I went on the opening weekend in September.

 

 

This celebration is about more than just beer, however. There’s a carnival with tons of rides, shops, and of course, live Schlager music. By the end of the day, you will definitely know the few words to Ein Prosit, because it’s played over and over again. This is apparently to encourage people to drink more, as part of the song is a countdown to chugging or “Zuffa” in Bavarian. Sweet Caroline and DJ Otzi’s Hey Baby aren’t far behind in popularity. If you’re not a big fan of beer, some tents do sell other beverages, though for the most part, revelers here will be enjoying a Maß (or two).

 

Oktoberfest in Munich surpasses any celebration of the same name anywhere in the world. Come for tradition, live Schlager music, bad covers of 90s dance songs, and most importantly, the love of beer. Prost!

 

 

MUSIC TO LISTEN TO IN MUNICH

Get into the Munich spirit with this curated playlist of songs.