Oktoberfest

The first Oktoberfest was held in the year 1810 in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities began on October 12, 1810 and ended on October 17th with a horse race. In the following years, the celebrations were repeated and, later, the festival was prolonged and moved forward into September.
By moving the festivities up, it allowed for better weather conditions. Because the September nights were warmer, the visitors were able to enjoy the gardens outside the tents and the stroll over “die Wiesen” or the fields much longer without feeling chilly. Historically, the last Oktoberfest weekend was in October and this tradition continues into present times.
Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world, with an international flavor characteristic of the 21th century: some 6 million visitors from all around the world converge on the Oktoberfest each year.

Getting there: It’s well known that a lot of Beer will flow at the Wiesn. Because nobody wants to see drunk drivers on the road the MVV night service is a good alternative. In the nights from Friday to Saturday, and Saturday to Sunday, all MVV subway lines will be running until ca. 2 am. Trains will run until ca. 1 am on all other nights during the Oktoberfest. Trains run in 10-minute frequencies.
Even Oktoberfest fans that live outside of Munich do not have to resort to driving their cars. The S-Bahn train network (S1 – S8) also offers weekend night service. Departures leave the city center between 2:10 am and 2:40 am. The S-Bahn trains run between Pasing and Ostbahnhof via the Hauptbahnhof and Marienplatz every 2-5 minutes.
Enter the tents:you should arrive as early as possible, especially, if there is a large group with you. For instance, during the week, arrive no later than 2:30pm and on the weekends, it’s best to go in the morning. Otherwise, you run the risk of not being able to enter the tents at all because they’re already full. Larger groups should expect to wait in line like others – those without seats won’t be served any beer!
Prices: The beer price will range between 6.95 and 7.50 Euros per liter. (Previous year: 6.65 to 7.10 Euros)
The average prices for alcohol-free drinks will be as following: One liter of table water - 5.84 Euros (last year: 5.62 Euros), one liter of Spezi - 6.90 Euros (last year: 6.59 Euros), and one liter of soft drink – 6.43 Euros (last year: 6.06 Euros).
Opening hours:
Beer Serving Hours
Weekdays: 10am - 10:30pm
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 9am - 10:30pm
Daily Tent Closing Time: 11:30pm
The "Käfer Wiesn-Schänke" and the "Weinzelt" are open until 1am. Last call for alcohol: 12:15am
www.oktoberfest.de