Dates and General FAQs

Essential and useful information about the Oktoberfest:

When will the Oktoberfest 2012 take place?

On Saturday, September 22nd, the Schottenhamel tent is the place to be, if you want to catch the official opening ceremonies. At noontime, 12pm, the lord mayor of Munich will have the honor of tapping the first keg of Oktoberfest beer. Once the barrel has been tapped, all visitors will then be allowed to quench their thirst. It pays to arrive early in order to experience the festivities up close and personal and it's quite common for visitors to come around 9am to secure good seats. The festival will last until October 7th.

What are the 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.

More about the tents

Sales Booths (souveniors, cigarettes, etc.)
Monday - Thursday: 10am - 11:30pm
Friday: 10am - 12am (midnight)
Saturday: 9am - 12am
Sundays and holidays:9am - 11:30pm

Carnival and Rides
Monday - Thursday: 10am - 11:30pm
Friday, Saturday: 10am - 12am
Sundays and holidays: 10am - 11:30pm

Family Days
Every tuesday from 12pm until 6pm
Discounted ride, entrance, and sales prices!

When is Oktoberfest scheduled for the next year?

2012: September 21st - October 6th

Do I have to pay entry?

No, the entry to the area and all beer-tents is free.

How can I make a reservation for beer tents?

You can not make a reservation at Oktoberfest.de! For making a reservation in a beer tent you have to contact the respective beer tent. You can find the contact dates of the tents on our tent-overview.

Can I enter the beer tents without a reservation?

Of course you can also enter the tents without any reservation. But please consider to come early, bacause the tents fill up very quickly! When the tents are overfilled, you can not enter anymore. On weekend the tents often close before 11 a.m. because of overfilling. During the week the tents are normally open until afternoon.