Everything Important About the Oktoberfest 2024

Anyone who has ever visited the Oktoberfest knows that it is a massive event. That's why we like to give our readers the best things to know this year before you head to Munich's part-time paradise. We are happy to answer questions on Reddit and Facebook.

Many New Things in 2024

There are a few new features this year, first and foremost the Boandlkramerei, which replaces the Herzkasperl tent at the unexpectedly happening Oide Wiesn. The installation of additional water dispensers, now also at the Oide Wiesn, is a welcome development. At Marstall, the music starts at eleven for the first time, the Paulaner group introduces new beer mugs and Münchner Stubn has a lunch menu with free beer. As the list of new things at the Oktoberfest 2024 is long, we would like to refer you to our special page.

Beer and Food Prices

The beer price in 2024 is between €13.60 and €15.30, depending on the tent. As in previous years, the cheapest of the large tents is the Augustiner tent. This year, a beer there will cost €14.10, while the tents that are not supplied by Augustinerbräu will all be around €15.

Food prices will rise significantly in 2024, not least due to the expiry of the VAT concession for restaurants. We have created an overview with all the menus, a small price comparison and a review. We have also compiled the lunch specials, special offers for children and the vegetarian and vegan food options in the large tents.

Special Events

To kick things off on September 21, the tent hosts and breweries will move in a parade onto the fair grounds. Afterwards, at noon, Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter taps the beer for the ninth time. The main festival Sunday, September 22, begins with the traditional costume and marksmen parade, which is why it is considered by many to be the most beautiful day of the Wiesn. The following Sunday, you can attend the big open air concert at the foot of the Bavaria at 11am. On the last day, October 6, the gun salute as part of the marksmen's award ceremony marks the premature end of the festivities.

Luggage and Bags

A lifting of the ban on bags over three liters in volume is not in sight. On the contrary, there will be even stricter controls this year, which is not the case at any other folk festival. Locker capacity at the main train station is still reduced due to the renovation work. However, the luggage drop-off points near the Wiesne entrances have been sufficient in previous years.

Crowds

If you have the opportunity, you should avoid Saturdays due to the large crowds, or at least prepare yourself for the admission situation in the morning. In the beer tent forecast, we also expect October 3 to be very well attended. In the past, however, the pressure on the tents on public holidays in this year's constellation has often not been quite as strong as on a Saturday, especially not later in the evening, similar to Sundays.

Last-Minute Reservations

The majority of Oktoberfest visits do not involve reservations. Thanks to the many places that cannot be reserved, we therefore recommend a reservation-free visit to the Wiesn. Finding seats is much easier during the week than on Saturdays. However, there are actually still three ways to get reservations: last-minute reservations, which are allocated less than 24 hours before the start of reservations, our reservation group on Facebook, and the hosts' resale portals. Most people use Oktoberfest Booking for this, where a (very small) number of relevant reservations are actually being offered this year.

Getting There

All stations close to the Oktoberfest are being serviced as usual. On top of that, S-Bahn München provides a 20 minute frequency on all lines between 10 p.m. and the end of service. However, that's not true for the end stations. Therefore, refer to our directions page for more information.