Oktoberfest - ein Fest der Landeshauptstadt München
Photo: Anette Göttlicher

Oktoberfest access for people with disabilities : A Folk festival for all

Guests with disabilities are welcome at Oktoberfest

Barrier-free travel by U-Bahn and S-Bahn, parking spots for the disabled, wheelchair ramps in the tents and the many stalls and rides, provision for blind visitors, wheelchair hire or restrooms for those with disabilities: There are many provisions made, so visitors with lesser mobility can enjoy the world’s biggest folk festival.

Barrier-free fun of Oktoberfest for the old and young

The Oktoberfest's showmen and market traders are happy to provide assistance within the scope of their possibilities and to accommodate the wishes of people with disabilities. Participation at the Wiesn is also possible for people with disabilities.

Barrier-free fun on the Ferris wheel, ghost train & Co.

The Munich Oktoberfest has a special attraction for people with disabilities. The large Ferris wheel, landmark of the Munich Wiesn, has a ramp that wheelchair and walker users can use to reach the two gondolas suitable for wheelchairs under their own power. The ramp to the station area of the ride is designed to meet standards.

Driving yourself in the bumper cars? The bumper car companies Distel , Geier ("Bayern-Crash") and Steinhart (2-post bumper car) invite you with a ramp and vehicles with manual throttle control to ride around.

The ghost rides „Geisterpalast“ , Geisterschloss“ and „Fahrt zur Hölle“ offer barrier-free access. The "Wilde Maus" also has a ramp, as do the "Jumanji" ride and the two wave fliers.

Children with disabilities are also catered for: in addition to ramps with which children's rides, children's carousel are equipped, the "Children's Dream Loop" is also equipped with a lap belt restraint system.

Barrier-free fun at shooting, playing and throwing booths

Barrier-free access to the shooting and throwing booths is ensured by ramps, depending on the condition of the booth location.
If a low counter is available (Eichel shooting gallery, Kraus shooting gallery, "Globus" shooting gallery), wheelchair users can also test their aim. The throwing booths "Ringwerfen" and "V.I.P. Party" invite you to throw at targets. At the Oidn Wiesn, the throwing booths are accessible at ground level. On the historic bowling alley, all nines can be pushed even in a wheelchair.

Barrier-free at snack stands and beer bars

A low sales counter, such as at the "Golden Cockerel", the street sale at Käfer's Wiesn Schänke, the Heinz chicken and sausage fryer, the Poschner chicken and duck fryer and at the "Winter Fischhaus", makes shopping easier for people in wheelchairs. This is also the case at the "Herzmalerei", where you can pick up your gingerbread heart directly as a souvenir.

Various beer bars offer drinks as well as a toilet for the disabled.

Services and Braille for visually impaired Oktoberfest guests

At the " Fahrt zur Hölle" (Schaustellerstraße 41), the visually impaired and blind are accompanied on request and have the scary attractions explained to them. In the "Jungle Camp" ride, specially trained employees guide visitors through the world of adventure. Some rides also display their fares in Braille.

Food & beverage menus in Braille

Festive establishments:

  • Biergarten des Familienplatzls
  • Café Schiebl
  • Festzelt Fischer Vroni
  • Schottenhamel Festhalle
  • Kufflers Weinzelt
  • Fisch-Bäda
  • Glöckle Wirt
  • Hühner- und Entenbraterei Goldener Hahn
  • Wurst- und Hühnerbraterei Heinz
  • Poschner´s Hühner- und Entenbraterei
  • Hühnerbraterei Münchner Stubn
  • „Knödelei“

Snack bars:

  • Wurstbraterei „Zum Gaumenschmaus“
  • Weißbierkarussell
  • Fleck-Alm
  • Crêpes Stadl
  • Baumstrietzelstand
  • Spanferkel Alm
  • Schlemmerhütte
  • Bratwurststand Kraus
  • Zettl‘s Schmankerl Alm

An assortment list in Braille is available at "Süßwaren-Standl Zimmermann-Weber", "Hawaifrüchte" and at the "Baumstrietzelstand" and at "Georg Rieger jun.

The special tip: Lebkuchenherzl with Braille lettering. Lovers of a sweet gingerbread heart can get heart variations with inscriptions in Braille at Georg Rieger jun.

Enjoying the barrier-free festival tents

It is important to the hosts of the large and small tents that people with limited mobility can also get into the tents without any problems and experience Oktoberfest fun there. The entrances to all festival halls and catering establishments are either at ground level or equipped with ramps. All innkeepers are contractually obligated to provide wheelchair spaces.

The following applies to the large tents
- at least 20 handicapped accessible places in the tent and 20 in the beer garden (all festival halls except Käfer Wiesn Schänke and wine tent)
- at least 10 handicapped accessible places in the tent and 10 in the beer garden (Käfer Wiesn Schänke and wine tent)
These places are to be kept free for wheelchair users and their escort until 5 p.m. on weekdays and until 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays as well as on the public holiday, October 3, without reservation. After these times, the seats in the marquee can only be reserved for wheelchair users and their accompanying person. It is recommended to make a reservation with the festival hosts.

In addition to the large festival halls, the smaller Oktoberfest tents also offer a contingent of seats for wheelchair users.

The following applies to all tents: If the tents are closed due to overcrowding, wheelchair users can also only be admitted with a reservation.

All 17 large festival halls are equipped with disabled WCs, as are most of the small Wiesn tents. The disabled WCs are equipped with a uniform locking system that can be used with the so-called EURO key.

More barrier-free services

Free wheelchair rental
The luggage storage facilities at the Hans-Fischer-Strasse entrance on the southern part of the Theresienwiese (G 10) and G1 near the main entrance will provide two wheelchairs each free of charge for Wiesn visitors with limited mobility, against a photo ID as a deposit. Reservations are recommended by calling 0176/438 315 66.

Public toilets for the disabled on the festival grounds

In addition to the disabled toilets in the tents, at rides and beer bars, there are a further six barrier-free toilets on the festival grounds:

  • at the Theresienwiese Service Center (SZT), entrance to the festival grounds
  • on the grounds of the Oidn Wiesn, behind the Marionette Theater
  • at the entrance Esperantoplatz
  • after the main entrance immediately to the right, in front of the Marstall tent
  • in street C, opposite exit OW 2 of the Oidn Wiesn
  • and a "toilet for all" at the intersection of street D/street 6, near the parking lot for the handicapped.

Again, these toilets can be used with the EURO key.

Video: See how barrier-free Oktoberfest fun looks like

A barrier-free trip to the Oktoberfest

Travelling barrier-free to the Wiesn by U-Bahn and S-Bahn
Getting to the Oktoberfest venue via public transport is no problem for visitors with disabilities. All U-Bahn stations around the venue have elevators and are suitable for those who are less mobile.

  • U4/U5: Theresienwiese and Schwanthalerhöhe
  • U3/U6: Goetheplatz and Poccistraße
  • S-Bahn: Hackerbrücke
  • U4/U5, S-Bahn S7 / S20: Heimeranplatz

The "MVG Fahrinfo München" app provides information about which lifts are currently in operation.

Barrier-free access to the Oktoberfest by car
On the southern part of the Theresienwiese (entrance via Hans-Fischer-Strasse) there are sufficient disabled parking spaces available for people with a blue parking permit and entitle them to free parking.

Barrier-free tours of the Wiesn

Those who want an insight into the history of Oktoberfest can book a barrier-free Wiesn tour with “Universum Oktoberfest”: www.universum-oktoberfest.de

The Oktoberfest app

On the site map on the Oktoberfest app. there is a button marked “details”, for lots of places. If available, further information on accessibility for disabled visitors is displayed on the corresponding details page. You can filter for different requirements using the search function on the site map with the tags “accessible:...”

Download the Oktoberfest App:

Important: Non-updated information on this page refers to Oktoberfest 2019. There was no Oktoberfest in 2020, neither was in 2021 due to the Corona pandemic.