Official Website
Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival. Held annually in Munich, it is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid or late September to the first weekend in October, with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year. Locally, it is often called the Wiesn, after the colloquial name for the fairgrounds (Theresienwiese). The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810.
Getting There
Take the U4 line or the U5 line to Theresienwiese or the U3 line or the U6 line to Goetheplatz.
Arrive Early
Unless you have a table reserved, you will need to get there around opening time if you want to get a table. If you don’t have a table, you won’t get served. The tents fill up quick! A number of tables are held for people without reservations. When you find a table you fit at, just ask anyone already seated if the seats are free and join them if they aren’t. The atmosphere is very congenial and everyone is very nice!
The Clothes
Men should wear lederhosen and women a dirndl (although I did see a few women opt for lederhosen). Don’t show up in the versions you see at Halloween stores. No one else will be wearing this! You need to wear the real thing. I would estimate only 5% of the people there don’t wear trachten (traditional garments in German-speaking countries) and I think it’s safe to say most of them aren’t locals.
You don’t need to buy the clothes before you go and it’s probably easier to just get them there. There are a number of stores in central Munich that sell trachten. They are very well stocked! Below is a map of some of these stores.
The Tents
There are a number of large and small tents on the fairground. Each is sponsored by a local brewery and has a slightly different atmosphere.
Websites for each tent
Eternal Horizon 