Munich’s Oktoberfest is one of the biggest parties in the world and has spawned copycat events across the globe. Alannah Eames finds out why.
Every year, for three weeks, the German city of Munich casts off its conservative and polished image for the annual Oktoberfest.
Book your flights and accommodation well in advance as everything gets full – and expensive – quickly- Alannah Eames
The largest – and one of the oldest – beer festivals in the world turns the city into a chaotic multicultural melting pot of tourists and Germans alike, all united by a love of beer. Love it or loathe it, this world-famous beer festival is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
It’s a Friday evening in late September and the usually orderly German subway is crammed with people scrambling frantically to get on board.
Tourists and locals are clothed in traditional dress – dirndls for the ladies and lederhosen for the men. They’re all headed for the Theresienwiese, where the 200-year-old event is held.
The very first Oktoberfest took place on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich flocked to the open-air festivities in front of the city gates.
The popular event was repeated the following year and, eventually, the festival was moved forward to September to allow for better weather conditions … but it is still called Oktoberfest today
What started out as an ‘innocent’ wedding party with an agricultural show, horse race, parade and, later, dance shows, is now one of the rowdiest beer parties in the world. Yet one thing has been consistent throughout its history: beer drinking.
Only beer which is brewed within the city limits of Munich can be served at the Oktoberfest.
Last year, around seven million litres of beer and over 500,000 chickens were consumed by 6.4 million visitors.
As the beer kicks in, things go missing. Last year, over 4,000 items were lost, among them 260 pairs of glasses, wedding rings and even 500 crutches!
In typical German style, there are rules and regulations which bring some sense of order to such an alcoholic orgy.
Drinks are only served at tables so it’s best to reserve your space beforehand or else be prepared to queue from as early as 9 a.m. to get into a tent.
Also make sure you have plenty of cash as a ‘mass’ or litre of beer costs around €9, a price that has outraged many locals but which organisers argue is necessary to counteract rising costs.
If you’re a teetotaller, you’ll have more to complain about as a soft drink or litre of water will set you back around €7, making the beer seem like a better deal.
It was Dublin-born BarbaraButler’s second trip to the Oktoberfest and this time she dressed up in traditional costume.
“My German fiancé Maik had coached me on the German beer songs,” she says. “The songs were the first thing I ever learnt inGerman so before I could speak a word of German, I was able to sing the songs at Oktoberfest!”
While Oktoberfest is definitely touristic, it’s a good introduction to Bavarian culture, beer and cuisine.
Each tent has its own beer and theme. Some have gay nights, others like the Fischer Vroni tent – which we visited – caters more for a Germanic audience and has a nautical and fish theme.
Many tourists make a beeline for the Hofbräuhaus tent, one of Germany’s most famous beer halls and a must on any visit to the Bavarian capital.
All tents have a great selection of German specialities like weisswurst (white sausage), obatzda (cream cheese spread), pretzels, sauerkraut (cabbage with vinegar) and schweinebraten (roast pork).
If, like us, you arrive sober at 7 p.m. you’ll probably get a shock when you see red-faced people clambering clumsily over benches and singing merrily along to hardcore traditional German songs. Drink your first glass of beer as quickly as possible to get into the flow.
After the second you will feel like you’ve been there half your life and will also be joining in the sing-along. And, if you manage four or five beers, the chances are you won’t remember much the next day as the beer is strong, at around six per cent alcohol.
“I loved it,” enthuses Barbara. “After a few glasses we really got into the spirit of things, singing and dancing on the benches. I will definitely go again.”
Make the most out of Oktoberfest
• Make sure you eat something ‘heavy’ to line your stomach.
• Take the subway – it’s the easiest and cheapest way to get around Munich.
• Don’t just soak up the beer, take the chance to see some local attractions like Nymphenburg Palace, the BMW Museum, Olympic Stadium, Neuschwanstein Castle and the Alps.
• Visit a real beer hall like the Hofbrauhaus or the Augustiner Brauerei to see how a Munich brewery looks outside of a tent.
• Book your flights and accommodation well in advance as everything gets full – and expensive – quickly.
• If you want to fit in, invest in a dirndl and lederhosen… you’ll feel part of the party and will have great photos to treasure forever.
• It’s best to do Oktoberfest in a group; if you’re alone, it might be a bit awkward in the beginning but it won’t be long before you make friends – everyone is surfing on the same beer wave!
For more information, visit www.oktoberfest.de/en/.