Arrive early
On weekdays you will almost always find a seat in the morning. At weekends many tents are full by midday and close their doors.
Well prepared for the Wiesn
The Oktoberfest guide: dos, don'ts & checklist
Make your Oktoberfest visit a real celebration: the unwritten rules of the beer tent, a packing list to tick off and everything worth knowing before you go.
- Oktoberfest 2027: September 18 – October 3, 2027
- Theresienwiese, Munich
Oktoberfest is the largest folk festival in the world – and it has its own rules. If you know them, you will find a seat more easily, get talking with the locals and experience the Wiesn the way people in Munich love it.
Our guide sums up the essentials: what you should definitely do, what you had better avoid, what belongs in your bag and how to get by in Wiesn Bavarian.
Dos
What you should do at the Wiesn
Toast the right way
When you say „Prost!“, look your neighbour in the eye. Legend says looking away brings seven years of bad luck.
Leave a tip
5–10 % is customary. A good tip with your first order often means faster service all day.
Eat something first
Roast chicken, pretzels, grilled fish on a stick or roast ox: a proper meal before your second litre is a must.
Drink water
Oktoberfest beer is stronger than regular beer. Order water in between – your head will thank you the next morning.
Wear traditional dress
Dirndls and lederhosen are welcome but not required. A dirndl bow tied on the left means single, on the right means taken.
Share tables
Just ask „Is do no frei?“ (Is this seat free?) – on the long benches you sit with strangers and quickly make friends.
Sing along
When the band plays „Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit“, everyone stands up, sings and toasts. Standing on the bench is perfectly fine.
Visit the Oide Wiesn
The historic section has nostalgic rides, brass music and dancing – more relaxed, for a small entrance fee.
Agree on a meeting point
The mobile network is often overloaded. Pick a fixed meeting point, for example the Bavaria statue.
Don'ts
What you had better not do
Climb onto the table
Standing on the bench: yes. Standing on the table: no. Anyone who climbs onto a table is usually thrown out right away.
Take the beer mug home
Taking a mug is theft and is checked at the exits. You can buy souvenir mugs at stalls on the grounds.
Bring big bags
Only small bags up to approx. 3 litres (20 × 15 × 10 cm) are allowed. Backpacks and suitcases must go to the cloakroom.
Chug and drinking games
Downing a litre is not a test of courage but the quickest way out. Drunk guests are escorted out by security.
Take reserved tables
Reserved tables are marked. You can often sit there until the reservation starts – then you have to move.
Costume instead of tradition
Cheap fancy-dress dirndls and plastic hats don't go down well with locals. Normal clothes are better than a costume.
Come by car
There is no parking around the Theresienwiese – and after beer you shouldn't drive anyway. Take the U-Bahn, S-Bahn or tram.
Pee in public
There are enough toilets on the grounds. If you are caught in doorways or parks, you will be fined.
Checklist
Your Oktoberfest checklist
Tick off what you have done or packed – your ticks are saved.
Your ticks are only saved in your own browser.
Good to know
Good to know
Opening hours
Tents open at 10 am on weekdays and 9 am at weekends and on the public holiday. Last orders at 10:30 pm, closing at 11:30 pm. On the first day, beer is only served after the tapping at noon.
Prices
Entry to the grounds is free. A litre of beer costs around €15–16, plus tip. Plan enough budget for food and rides too.
Reservations
Tables are booked directly with the tents, usually for 8–10 people and with food and drink vouchers. Every large tent also has areas without reservations.
Getting there
U4/U5 to Theresienwiese or Schwanthalerhöhe, U3/U6 to Goetheplatz or Poccistraße, S-Bahn to Hackerbrücke. If a station is overcrowded, use the next one.
With children
Tuesdays are family days with reduced prices. Children under 6 are not allowed in the tents after 8 pm – not even with their parents.
Safety
Emergency 112, police 110. At the service centre you will find the Wiesn police station, lost and found and the „Safe Space“ for women and girls.
Special days
Parade of the landlords and tapping on the first Saturday, costume and riflemen's parade on the first Sunday, open-air concert at the Bavaria statue on the middle Sunday, gun salute on the last Sunday.
Paying
More and more tents and stalls accept cards, but cash is still the quickest. There are cash machines on the grounds – often with queues.
Wiesn dictionary
A little Wiesn dictionary
- O'zapft is!
- „It's tapped!“ – the Mayor's cry when the first keg is opened. Oktoberfest has begun.
- Wiesn
- What locals call Oktoberfest – after the Theresienwiese meadow.
- Maß
- One litre of beer in a glass mug. The beer tents don't serve smaller glasses.
- Prosit / Prost
- Cheers! Said while clinking mugs and keeping eye contact.
- Oans, zwoa, g'suffa!
- „One, two, drink up!“ – a popular toast in the tents.
- Hendl
- Half a roast chicken – the Oktoberfest classic.
- Brezn
- The Bavarian pretzel, often huge and topped with coarse salt.
- Obatzda
- A spicy cheese spread made from camembert, butter and paprika – perfect with a pretzel.
- Radler
- Beer mixed with lemonade – lighter than a full Maß.
- Spezi
- Cola mixed with orange soda – the Bavarians' favourite soft drink.
- Bedienung
- Waitress or waiter in the tent – often carries ten mugs at once.
- Schmankerl
- A Bavarian speciality or treat.
- Lebkuchenherz
- Gingerbread heart with an icing message – the classic Oktoberfest souvenir.
- Servus / Griaß di
- Bavarian greetings for „hello“ – Servus also means „bye“.
FAQ
Questions & answers
Is there an entrance fee for Oktoberfest?
No, the festival grounds and the tents are free. Only the Oide Wiesn, the historic section, charges a small entrance fee.
Do I have to wear traditional dress at Oktoberfest?
No. Dirndls and lederhosen are popular but optional. Comfortable everyday clothes are perfectly fine – fancy-dress costumes less so.
Can I get into a beer tent without a reservation?
Yes. Every large tent has areas without reservations. Come on a weekday or very early at the weekend.
Can I pay by card at Oktoberfest?
More and more often, but not everywhere. Cash is quickest in the tents, so bring enough euros.
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