Oktoberfest 2023: Answers to questions that keep coming up

Munich – The Oktoberfest belongs to Munich like sweet mustard to white sausage. Every year, millions of people flock to the state capital to celebrate the Oktoberfest. / Oktoberfest 2023

And this despite the fact that beer and chicken prices will rise drastically again in 2023. The largest folk festival in the world has a long tradition: our editorial team explains here in the FAQ how to get a seat in the marquee, since when and why the Wiesn has existed at all.

How long does the Oktoberfest in Munich last?

The 188th Oktoberfest will take place on the Theresienwiese from September 16 to October 3, 2023. On the first Oktoberfest Saturday, the tents open at 9 a.m., and non-alcoholic drinks are served from 10 a.m. At 12 noon, Munich’s Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) then taps the first beer keg in the Schottenhamel marquee. The Wiesn 2023 is officially opened with the tapping, then it’s time again: O’zapft is! (Bavarian for: It’s tapped!)

Oktoberfest 2023: How much does admission to the Oktoberfest cost?

Visiting the Oktoberfest is basically free. There is no entry fee for staying on the Theresienwiese. However, there is one exception: for the “Oide Wiesn” with historical rides, people aged 14 and over have to pay four euros, and entry is free from 9 p.m.

Can you go to the Wiesn without a reservation?

Festival tents can also be entered without prior notification. Some of the tables are even kept free for spontaneous visitors. In the large tents, this affects a quarter of the places, on weekends and public holidays up to 3 p.m. even half, after that it’s still 35 percent. The only exceptions to this are the Käfer Wiesn-Schänke, Kufflers Weinzelt and the small tents. Reservations are not possible in the beer gardens. However, especially in the evening or as a group, it can quickly happen that there are no more spaces left in the festival tents. Sometimes the entrance is also closed due to overcrowding. If you want to be on the safe side, you should reserve in advance.

How do you get a table at the Wiesn?

There is no central point for the reservation. Tables can be reserved in advance directly at the festival tents, including the small tents. As a rule, this is already possible in spring, at the latest from April or May. The landlords will inform you about the start on their websites. Most bookings are made online, sometimes over the phone. It pays to be quick, but sometimes appointments become available again at short notice.

The 17 large festival tents at the Wiesn 2023

– Augustiner-Festhalle
– Festzelt Tradition
– Fischer-Vroni
– Hacker-Festzelt
– Herzkasperlzelt
– Hofbräu-Festzelt
– Käfer Wies‘n-Schänke
– Kufflers Weinzelt
– Löwenbräu-Festzelt
– Marstall Festzelt
– Ochsenbraterei
– Paulaner Festzelt
– Pschorr-Bräurosl
– Schottenhamel-Festhalle
– Schützen-Festzelt
– Schützenlisl

How much does a table at the Oktoberfest cost?

The reservation of the tables itself is free of charge. However, vouchers must be paid for in advance, i.e. tokens, for example for a beer and half a chicken per person. Reservations can only be made for a whole table, i.e. eight to ten people. The tokens for a table then cost a total of around 350 euros, in some tents even more.

As of this year, an exception is the “Wiesnpaket”: With it, individuals can secure a fixed place in a tent of their choice from 79 euros. Food and beer stamps as well as one of three city tours through Munich and the official Oktoberfest mug with the Wiesn motif included.

What is actually celebrated at the Oktoberfest?

The Wiesn is the largest and most popular folk festival in the world. Its history goes back to the year 1810: Back then, on October 12, Prince Regent Ludwig of Bavaria (later King Ludwig I) married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hilburghausen. They celebrated their wedding on October 17th in an unusual way: with a big horse race on what is now the Theresienwiese, so named after the bride. Everyone was so enthusiastic about the big event that they absolutely wanted to do it again. The Oktoberfest was born, albeit without rides and beer tents. It now begins in September, but the start date was only pushed forward later. Incidentally, the official founding father is Andreas Michael Dall’Armi, a member of the Bavarian National Guard, who had the idea for the horse race in 1810.

Oktoberfest 2023: Why is it called Wiesn?

The Oktoberfest venue has always been the Theresienwiese, which in 1810 was still a meadow on the outskirts of the city. In the long run, however, this name was too cumbersome for the people of Munich – which is why they immediately renamed the Theresienwiese to “d’Wiesn”. But beware: these are not several meadows in the plural, but the Bavarian abbreviation of “die Wiese”. That’s why it is said that you were “at the Wiesn” and not “on the meadows”.

Who owns the Wiesn?

The Oktoberfest has been held under the management of the city of Munich since 1819. Even then it was a magnet for visitors and a bubbling source of money. The city also owns the area, i.e. the 42-hectare Theresienwiese. That’s why festival tents, fairground rides and booths have to pay stand rents every year. In addition, the city runs several stands that stand in the streets and sell delicatessen, non-alcoholic drinks and souvenirs. In its official final report, the economic department did not present any figures on how much the city earned at the Wiesn 2022. The income from the privately operated festival tents is also a well-kept secret: it is estimated that a Wiesn landlord earns between one and two million euros per year. Last year around 5.7 million people visited the Wiesn.