Munich Oktoberfest 2021 | Munich Beer Festival 2021

Munich Oktoberfest attracts plenty of tourists each year and has been steered successfully for the last 200 years! The Oktoberfest is the biggest celebration of beer and Bavarian culture. Approximately six million people attend this event every year !

The fest grounds are adorned with beer tents, filled with people from all over the world. It is an ultimate event to tick off on your Germany bucket list.

You need to experience the magnificent fest to believe it! Now, who would not want to try the signature Bavarian food and delicious Munich beers?

When Would Munich Oktoberfest 2021 Be?

According to the latest news reports, unfortunately, this time, the Oktoberfest 2021 is cancelled due to the pandemic. It was expected to begin at noon on Saturday, September 18th, and end on Sunday, October 3rd, 2021.

The Munich Oktoberfest is generally held in late September and ends on the first Sunday of October. However, there may be exceptions at times.

This beer festival is held in a series of massive beer tents that are surrounded by stalls and amusements.

History of Oktoberfest

Everything began from the wedding of the Bavarian Crown Prince, Ludwig, to Princess Therese from Saxony- Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. One of the national guards suggested celebrating the marriage with a horse race to make sure that the Bavarian folk also participated in the wedding.

This idea was widely accepted by the royalty. However, to accompany this horse race, free snacks and beer were provided. Later on, they decided that this festival should be repeated every year by combining a livestock show.

This was the beginning of the ‘October-Festivals’. By 1830, around 60,000 people used to enjoy the Oktoberfest festivities in 19 beer tents. This annual tradition was firmly established!

Munich was smaller in the past and the event organizers went out to the Wiesn to host the starting ceremonies. This tradition is followed to this day as the tent proprietors enter the tent on Saturday morning in the parade. Mayor Thomas Wimmer started the first well-known tradition of tapping the beer keg in the 1950s.

Delving into Details of the Origins of Oktoberfest

One of the rules that still apply in the beer tents at Oktoberfest is ‘the customer is king’. Prince regent Ludwig of Bavaria, the later King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen were to honor a huge horse race following their wedding. The couple had got married on October 12, 1810, and the festivities took place on 17th October on the grounds of Theresienwiese, to be later named after the bride, and feature the exact horse race as suggested.

There weren’t any beer tents or fairground rides back at the time. However, this marked the birth of Oktoberfest. In 1824, Munich city awarded Andreas Michael Dall’Armi with the first gold citizen’s medal for ‘inventing’ Oktoberfest. He was buried at Alter Südfriedhof cemetery. A Street has been named after him in the neighborhood of Neuhausen-Nymphenburg.

It took some time for the historical Oktoberfest to become the festival we know today. To mark the 100th anniversary of Oktoberfest, 12,000 hectolitres of beer were poured at the Pschorr-Bräurosl in 1910. It was a huge festival tent that seated 12,000 people at the time. Each year, new additions and exciting rides became a part of Oktoberfest

Today, Oktoberfest is the world’s largest folk festival and it draws around six million visitors in a year. Each year, the record is broken from the quantity of beer consumed to the amount of chicken wolfed down.

In 2005, an attempt to attract more families was introduced by holding a ‘quiet Oktoberfest’. Business owners can play party music only after 6 PM and can play only Bavarian brass band music before the time.

The history of Oktoberfest continues to be modified in the most wonderful ways. In 2010, as a part of marking the 200th anniversary, along with the usual Oktoberfest, a historical festival took place in the south part of Theresienwiese to remind the party-goers about the history of the festival.

Along with a family-friendly program, there were various cultural activities like horseracing from which the festival originated.

What to Expect from Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is a thrilling drinking festival. Millions of people travel to Germany every year. Almost all of them are dressed in traditional Bavarian clothes and have a good time by drinking gallons of beer.

There’s also a lot of singing. You can find a carnival kind of atmosphere outside the beer tents. The grounds host a carnival with games, rides, and even haunted houses. The entire place looks like a theme park. If it wasn’t for the people dressed up, it would seem like a carnival in the USA! The sight of people passing out from too much beer is also common during this festival.

You will find the actual and traditional Oktoberfest inside the tents – lots of traditional music, hearty food, large decorated tents, large steins of beer, friendly people, and an overall happy atmosphere that fills you with joy and friendship. Everyone who attends the event has a good time and is always in high spirits!

Cost for Attending Oktoberfest

All the tents are free to enter. Beer can cost typically around 12 EUR and full meals would mostly be 12-15 EUR. However, if you want to have snacks or small meals, you would get it for around 5 EUR. You would also get alcohol (not beer) outside the tents for around 8 EUR. There will be tons of stands that offer food and liquor. Sausage and Wurst would cost you around 5-6 EUR.

Reserving a table is technically free but would require you to order food and drinks. This would be equivalent to 2 beers and half a chicken that would cost you around 30-35 EUR per person. Hence, a table for 10 would be around 300 EUR, depending on the tent.

One of the major things to note is that the event cannot be held on a tight budget. The beer or food can be bought from outside the event grounds that can reduce your costs. However, if you are purchasing anything in the tents, you will have to pay!

Read More : 10 Best Festivals to Attend in Poland

How Munich Oktoberfest is for Tourists

Munich’s Oktoberfest is the World’s biggest beer festival that features the world’s tastiest beer (served by liter). This is accompanied by a hearty German cuisine, vast beer halls, and carnival rides similar to the Disneyland experience! You can find German oompah bands that encourage a lot of like-minded party animals from every corner of the world to dance on tables and make best friends for life.

Thousands of like-minded individuals from all over the world enjoy the food, beer, and a hearty and wholesome experience by exploring Munich to see all of its attractions.

You can experience the beer halls and the world-famous Stoketoberfest party. It is the biggest event held outside the beer halls that is fuelled by the legendary €10 a day open beer-and-sangria bar. The beer available here is a beer-fuelled paradise on earth!

If you’re planning a Germany tour, ensure you don’t miss out on this wonderful experience!

General Tips to Survive the Oktoberfest

The Oktoberfest is a marathon because you will be drinking all day! But there is no need to rush and drink. However, too many people pass out on the lawns by dinnertime due to quick and excessive drinking. This happens due to excess consumption of strong beer. Here are some useful tips to help you survive the Oktoberfest.

Hydrate: Ensure you drink lots of water when you are drinking at Oktoberfest. You should also hydrate yourself after attending the event.

Get to the Tents Early: Most of the tents close by 10.30 PM and only very few of them remain open late. Most people would rush to such tents during the last moments to get a spot. So, identify such tents early and seize a spot.

Grab a Table Early: If you are unable to reserve a table for yourself and reach the spot by mid-day, chances are that you won’t find a table. Avoid such situations and make sure that you book a table in advance.

Eat Outside the Event Area: All the tents have amazing food and there is no doubt about it but the food is very expensive! The good news is you can walk outside and buy cheap food for a few euros. You can easily save money to buy more liters of beer during the event.

Set a Meeting Point if You Are Not Alone: The place is huge and it is easy to get separated from your gang of friends. For this reason, it’s always better to set a meeting point with your friends in case all of you get separated.

Specific Tents Don’t Matter: Each tent might offer you a unique experience. However, the differences won’t be too much. Every tent will offer you a great time and you don’t have to be picky to look for any particular tent. Find a tent you would like and remain there!

Make Sure You Have Cash: It’s always good to have good old cash with you! This can keep everyone’s life simple and finish off the payment instantly without facing any technical issues.

Keep Belongings Safe: Though there won’t be much of a problem with pickpockets during the event there are chances that you might get drunk and lose something. So make sure you bring only the essential stuff you might need.

Special Days at Oktoberfest

Other than the holidays and weekends, some special days can draw major crowds and attention.

Opening Day: Oktoberfest begins with a ceremonial parade by 11 AM and the traditional tapping of the keg led by the mayor of Munich in the Schottenhamel tent. The visitors arrive here often by 9 AM to grab good seats for the event.

Riflemen’s and Costume Parade: The Sunday that follows the opening day marks the annual parade in the traditional clothing, tracht.

Gay Sunday: The first Sunday sees the largest LGBTQ+ gathering of the festival. What was once a rendezvous between a few friends has now turned out to be a big party! It’s just that additionally there are gay-themed clubs and discos. It is followed by RoslMontag which is an extension of Gay Sunday that follows on Monday and a finale accompanies the same.

Family Days: The different rides during the festivals cost less on two family days that are on Tuesdays, mid-fest.

Religious Mass: On the first Thursdays since the start of Oktoberfest, there is a traditional religious mass.

Brass Band Concert: On the second Sunday since the start of Oktoberfest, there are traditional live band concerts held at the foot of the Alps.

Gun Salute: During the last Sunday of the fest, there is a gun salute to conclude the event on the Bavarian monument.