Hofbräu-Festzelt

The former royal and now state-owned Hofbräuhaus has been present at Oktoberfest for a surprisingly short period of time. Even more remarkable, the first Hofbräu beer was not served at the Hofbräu tent, but at Schottenhamel in the early 50s. Finally, in 1952, Hofbräu opened its own beer tent for the very first time.

Inheriting the reputation of the renowned Hofbräuhaus am Platzl and the brewery successfully exporting beer to the English-speaking world, the Hofbräu-Festzelt is most popular among Anglo-Saxons. Adapting foreign drinking habits, it became the only tent with a large standing area without a bar in the 80s. It’s located directly in front of the band and accommodates around 1000 mostly international guests.

The tent’s decoration is dominated by 600 kilos of hops hanging from the roof. The angel levitating under the roof is Aloisius, the protagonist of the Ludwig Thoma satire “Ein Münchner im Himmel”, who is sent to deliver a divine inspiration to the Bavarian government, but finally gets wasted at Hofbräuhaus, where he still sits today. Divine inspiration never reached the government. Unlike Hofbräuhaus am Platz, the atmosphere at the Hofbräu tent is much less traditional and instead rowdier - among others due to its international guests. Only its façade is reminiscent of the original Hofbräuhaus.

If you’re looking to party with fellow English speakers, the standing area of the Hofbräuzelt is the place to go.

Reservations 2024

The tent started offering available reservation slots publicly in their reservation form, starting March 14. They at least included the first two Sundays, with evenings. At night, the available slots are removed from the form.