Oide Wiesn: The historical Oktoberfest

Novelties, tents and showmen at the Oide Wiesn

The nostalgic "Oide Wiesn" with festival tents, historic rides and stalls was last represented at the Oktoberfest again in 2024 from September 21 to October 6. What was on offer on the festival grounds in the southern part of the Theresienwiese.

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What makes the Oide Wiesn so special: Nostalgic rides for 1.50 euro

Menschen auf Kettenflieger, Riesenrad im Hintergrund, Oide Wiesn, blauer Himmel
München Tourismus, Tommy Loesch
The low prices for the rides make the Oide Wiesn particularly attractive.

On the southern part of the Theresienwiese is a very special piece of Oktoberfest: the Oide Wiesn. If you take a seat in one of the historic rides and then experience real Bavarian customs in the cozy beer tent, you will get an idea of what the Oktoberfest used to be like.

Three large festival tents (Festzelt Tradition, Herzkasperlzelt and Schützenlisl®) with a customs program and the museum tent are located on the festival grounds. Fans of historic rides will find real showman nostalgia at the Oidn Wiesn. Here, the "Kettenflieger Kalb" from 1919 rotates, the "Dicke Berta" puts muscular strength to the test and the "Fahrt ins Paradies" (Ride to Paradise) over hill and dale or the 50s hit "Calypso" awaken Volksfest memories. Classics such as the ship swing and children's carousel round out the offerings alongside historic throwing and shooting booths - all at family-friendly prices. All rides can be ridden for just 1.50 euro. An entrance fee of 4 euros per person (15 years and older) is required to enter the closed area. After 9 p.m., admission is free.

At the Old Oktoberfest is free admission from 9 p.m.

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Strolling through the Old Oktoberfest at the end of a leisurely walk without paying admission is possible after 9 p.m. every day. The nostalgic rides continue to make their rounds until 11:30 p.m. at an unbeatable admission price of 1.50 euro. If you want to order something in one of the three marquees, you should hurry, because the bar ends at 10:30 p.m. However, no one will have to down their drink, because the tents will close one hour later at 11:30 p.m. At midnight, the Old Oktoberfest closes its doors.

Entry fees and opening times: an overview of the ‘Oide’

  • Grounds: 3.5 hectares in the southernmost part of Theresienwiese
  • Entrance: around 4 euros per person (free entry from 9 p.m. — only via the exits!) Free entry for children up to 14 years of age and 50% off for disabled people with a valid pass; anyone accompanying a person who presents a disabled person’s pass marked with the letter B also has free entry
  • Tickets include free entry to the cultural program at festival tents
  • Rides: 1.50 Euro
  • Opening hours of festival tents: 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (Bar: 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.)
  • Opening hours for performers:
    On the first day from midday to midnight
    Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. until 11:30 p.m.
    Friday, Saturday, and Montag, October 2, from 10 a.m until midnight
    Sunday and on the holiday (October 3) from 10 a.m. until 11:30 p.m.
  • Beer price: 13.20 – 14.20 Euro (2022: 12.60 – 13.40 Euro)
  • History: For the anniversary celebration "200 years of Oktoberfest" in 2010, festival visitors were given a historical insight with the unique Oide Wiesn. However, the Oide Wiesn was so popular that it was decided to establish it in a slightly different form as a permanent part of the Oktoberfest from 2011. The Oide Wiesn shares its location with the Bavarian Central Agricultural Festival and therefore does not take place every four years.

The folk singer tent Schützenlisl® of the innkeeper family Stiftl

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Since 2022 at the Oide Wiesn is the folk singer tent Schützenlisl® of the innkeeper family Stiftl. In their tent the tradition of the legendary folk singer greats such as Weiß Ferdl, Bally Prell, Hans Blädel takes up a lot of space. Traudi Siferlinger, BR presenter and inn music expert, has put together the very high quality musical program. Singing along is expressly desired. The menu includes specialties from the in-house butchery, fair trade products, as well as vegetarian and vegan delicacies, all specialties from the region that bear the Bavarian organic seal or the "Geprüfte Qualität Bayern" seal. The beer served is Augustiner from wooden barrels in stone mugs and wheat beer from Hacker Pschorr. The Schützenlisl® tent was awarded as a climate-neutral tent.

Tent: 1,384 seats
Garden: 400 seats
Festival hosts: Christine and Lorenz Stiftl
www.stiftl-oktoberfest.de

Festzelt Tradition: Bavarian customs

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The Tradition tent operated by the Winklhofer and Wieser host families focuses on brass band music and performances by Bavarian traditional costume societies. Served is Augustiner Wiesn noble from the wooden barrel in the typical Keferloher. In the soda garden with its own children's toilets and diaper-changing facilities, children can tap unlimited soda from the soda fountain for one euro. On the second Monday of the Oktoberfest the Festzelt Tradition revives the "Bricklayers' Monday" of days gone by as "Craftsmen's Monday." No matter what craft they come from, guests who visit the tent in their professional attire will be invited between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. for two Weißwürste and a small pretzel. No minimum consumption is required for reservations in the Tradition tent.

Tent: 5,000 seats
Garden: 2,700 seats
Weißbiergarten: 300 seats
Landlords: Toni & Christine Winklhofer and Peter & Margot Wieser
www.oktoberfestzelttradition.de

The Herzkasperl tent: Young folk music

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The Herzkasperl festival tent of Munich's folk culture award winner and landlord of the traditional Fraunhofer restaurant, Josef "Beppi" Bachmaier, is the tent of the musicians. Imaginative, witty, intercultural and sometimes rebellious: this is where the young folk music scene meets. In the mornings and evenings, amateurs can also perform on the stage in the beer garden. On the dance floors in the tent and in the garden you can shake a leg, whether Zwiefacher or freestyle. Cabaret artist Maxi Schafroth takes over the tapping in the marquee. The name of the marquee is a tribute to Munich actor and cabaret artist Jörg Hube and alludes to the "Wiesn madness" over on the Oktoberfest grounds. The kitchen offers classic Bavarian delicacies, as well as vegetarian and vegan specialties and organic chicken.

Tent: 1,748 seats
Garden: 1,136 seats
Landlord: Josef Bachmaier
www.herzkasperlzelt.de

 

The Museum tent with velodrome and "Volksfestwelt"

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he history of the Oktoberfest comes alive in the Museum Tent belonging to the "Historische Gesellschaft Bayerischer Schausteller e.V." (Historical Society of Bavarian Showmen). Exhibits from the "Münchner Schausteller-Stiftung" (Munich Showmen Foundation), whose collection is housed in the Munich City Museum, invite visitors on a journey through the past. From the Munich Show Jumping Carousel from 1945, a replica of the Velodrome, to the unique Stork caravan from 1952/53, which was used as an office by the Oktoberfest press office for many years, there is much to discover.

Children's program in the Museum Tent: Children from the age of six can enjoy a colorful program from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the museum tent. From Monday to Friday you can have your make-up done and marvel at a balloon artist. Throughout the week, the Förderverein für Bairische Sprache und Dialecte e.V. (www.fbsd.de) brings the dialect closer, barrel organ players give an insight into the technology and the art of the organ, a penny-farthing rider tells the story of the bicycle and explains its construction , the operators of the Bulldog Rondell present and explain their historic vehicles and in the velodrome the kids can do laps on crazy bikes. School classes are very welcome. In the search game at the Oidn Wiesn you learn a lot about the history of showmanship. Those who successfully answer all the questions receive the Wiesn diploma and can look forward to a small prize.

  • The Museum Tent is open from 10 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. Admission is free, and participation in the children's program is free. More information about the Museum Tent: www.historische-gesellschaft-bayerischer-schausteller.bayern

New: Zirkuswagencafé

Up to 20 people can be found in the restored circus wagon from 1970 historic tram benches square. Outside there are bar tables for around 30 guests in total. The offer is traditional Bavarian Pastries like Auszogne or apple snails. In addition, coffee, hot chocolate, juice and organic soda are served (OW 24).

This year again at the Oide Wiesn: car and motorcycle steep wall show - Original Motodrom

RAW, Stefan Dohl

Today's Motodrom is commissioned in 1928 by the Munich showman Josef Ruprecht, a Munich showman. In the film "The Death Arena" by Kurt Meisen (1953), the wall became a film star alongside Richard Häussler, Katharina Mayberg and Friedl Hardt. In 1984 Hugo Dabbert became the new owner of the steep face. He gives it the name "Motodrom", modernizes the wall with a new parade, trucks and high-speed cars and creates "The Motorellos" with a unique program. In 2012, Dabbert hands over the "Motodrom" to Thomas Ottl and Donald Ganslmeier, who run the business today (OW 16).

Anniversary joke photography

The American Christoph Doherty from Munich has been taking fun photos at the Oktoberfest for 40 years. Photography has been an attraction at folk festivals ever since it was invented. Every year Doherty comes up with new motifs for the brochures, often with motifs from film or contemporary history, which visitors then poke their heads through (OW 16).

Oktoberfest posters: Purchase exclusive reprints

The state capital of Munich has been praising this in a competition since 1952 Oktoberfest poster off. The winning motif will be advertised on posters, on the Internet, and in the social media for the Wiesn and can be found on the official collector's beer mug and other licensed items.
The complete series of posters is on display in the museum tent. In the "Museum stands" can be used for exclusive reprints of the Oktoberfest posters (1952 to 2018) at a price of 12 euros per poster.

Munich’s puppet theater

RAW, Exithamster

The stage at Munich’s Marionettentheater is another highlight at the Oide Wiesn for big and little ones alike. The history of this venue stretches back to 1858 when Josef Leonhard Schmid requested that the city of Munich appraise his plans to “establish a permanent puppet theater for children”. Today, the theater can be found at 32 Blumenstrasse in Munich. It enjoys ‘travelling’ for the Oide Wiesn, however, where it offers a rich and diverse program with several shows per day. Entry to the theater is free.