Boandlkramerei

Boandlkramerei will take Herzkasperl-Festzelt's place at Oide Wiesn in 2024. Peter Schöniger thus moves up from sausage stand operator, which he has been at the Oktoberfest since 1992, to tent host. Up to now, he has been known primarily for his traveling Bayernland-Festhalle, which he operates at the Munich Spring Festival, among others.

Apart from the fact that a Herzkasperl (heart attack) is often followed by the Boandlkramer (grim reaper, literally bones trader), the choice of tent name may not be immediately obvious. Literally, the press information states rather clumsily, “Boandlkramer is a Bavarian term for death. Boandl are bones and Kramer is a trader. The name Boandlkramerei® is protected and reflects the humorous character and playful disposition of the Bavarians according to the story by Franz von Kobell. 'Die Gschicht von Brandner Kasper' was published in 1871. One evening, the Boandlkramer appeared to a man from Tegernsee who wanted to take him home. The 74-year-old Kasper managed to get the grim reaper drunk with “Kerschgeist” (cherry schnaps) in order to trick him into agreeing to be taken away when he was 90. Boandlkramerei trades bones from traditional Oktoberfest dishes, such as chicken giblets, duck legs and knuckle bones. Of course, we also serve innovative vegan and vegetarian Oktoberfest specialties that reflect the 'back to the farm' philosophy.”

Controversy Over the License

As Schöniger's predecessor Beppi Bachmaier is a key player in Munich's cultural scene and offered a very unusual, diverse program at the Wiesn, the change of landlord caused quite a stir. A live broadcast on Bavarian television had never before been used to accompany a licensing decision. Bachmaier was so convinced that he had been disadvantaged in the awarding of the license that he even tried - unsuccessfully - to get a court ruling. Schöniger was accused of deceiving the city council by mentioning bands in the application documents that had not even been requested. Furthermore, the Boandlkramerei should not have been considered at all in the approval process, as it disregarded the programmatic requirements of a landmark decision on the Musikantenzelt from 2016. However, the Munich Administrative Court did not follow this reasoning.

It will be interesting to see which tent we will see at this location in 2025.

Music Program

The music program is designed by Winfried Frey. He does not want to create a Herzkasperl tent copy, “but to retain tried and tested music groups and snappy artists, as well as to give the current stream and the new young ones a chance.” Both well-known and young artists should find their place in the program. Schöniger emphasizes that Frey was recommended to him by Karl-Heinz Knoll, one of the brains behind Oide Wiesn. He in turn made it clear to BR that he had done this for the Volkssängerzelt. In 2022, Schöniger has already tried to replace the Schönheitskönigin tent with his Schöne Münchnerin. This aspect is worth mentioning, as it is often said that the Boandlkramerei is not different enough from the Volkssängerzelt, which is now called Schützenlisl.

The Boandl ensemble, which performs the story of Brandner Kaspar as a musical cabaret twice a day, is a fixture in the program that certainly doesn't help to dispel this criticism. Accordionist Da Waitler makes it to seven appearances with a short program. On six days, a magician (Magischer Sparifankerl) performs in the rows of tables. On most days, three brass bands, Oberkrainer or folk music groups perform before 18:30.

On the evenings in particular, there are also a few splashes of color. The most prominent artists are certainly Oimara, Cubaboarisch 2.0, Deschowieda, Keller Steff and The Heimatdamisch. As there is still quite a wide range of musical genres, it is advisable to consult the program before attending.

The Josef Menzl band, which would have had six dates in the Herzkasperl tent and, according to Schöniger, would have been interested in playing at the Boandlkramerei, is not included.

Reservations 2024

The reservation portal went live on July 18. Reservations for all days and times were available at the start.