Munich Oktoberfest 2008 — the Best Beer Tents

Germany's Most Famous Beer Festival & Its Bavarian Beer Halls

Sep 19, 2008 Gill Hart

The Munich Oktoberfest in Bavaria, Germany has 14 large beer tents, each offering something different. Find out the attraction of each tent, to help plan a visit.

For 16 days every year Germany's biggest beer festival, the Munich Oktoberfest opens its doors to a few million visitors from Europe and all over the world.

From September 20th to October 5th, 2008 international beer lovers will flock to this picturesque part of Bavaria to sample all the fun of the 175th Oktoberfest, which offers over two weeks of fun and festivities, Bavarian food, wine and beer.

This famous Bavarian beer festival is held on the area in the center of the Munich called the Theresienwiese (field of Therese), known as the Weisen for short. 60% of the festival's visitors are aged 30 or less, according to the City of Munich's Department of Labour and Economics, 2008 press release entitled, "The Munich Oktoberfest as an Economic Factor." It is estimated that around 6 million visitors will attend the festival, says BBC World News , in its news segment featuring the opening of the 175th Oktoberfest, September 20, 2008.

Whilst there around 200 other cities which hold Oktoberfest celebrations worldwide, any beer connoisseur worth his salt knows that this mother-of all-festivals, the Munich Oktoberfest, can't be beaten. For the tourist, its atmosphere, history and sheer size offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Some of the bigger beer tents can seat as many as 9,000 people.

The Oktoberfest Beer Tents

The festival is based around the huge beer halls, constructed purely for the celebration. There are 14 huge tents in all, each having their own particular appeal. The halls are big enough to seat up to 9,000 people in some cases, but it’s important to get there early. Reservations can be made for a particular tent (contact them direct), but if going "on spec" then be sure to get there before 2.30pm on a weekday, and in the morning on a weekend. Be warned - the tents fill up quickly. No seat, no service, no drink — that’s the policy!

Most Popular Beer Tents

Due to the festival's sheer size and popularity it is helpful to know what each tent has to offer:

The Hippodrum is a truly ‘hip’ place for singles and the young crowd . It is frequented by a stylish set with a high flirt factor! Celebrities also flock to this venue so its possible to rub shoulders with some of the elite. Get there early, it’s smaller than most tents!
For party animals, try The Schottenhamel, a key tent in the festival as it is one of the most traditional, and where all the opening festivities begin. Popular with the young as a party hang out!
The Augustiner-Fethalle is family friendly tent with a great atmosphere Families feel very comfortable in this venue and on “kids days” (Tuesdays) they offer very low prices. This is considered by many elderly locals to be a favorite tent as it sells Augustiner, a popular local brew.
The Hacker-Festzelt offers a break from the traditional brass band music, with an evening Rock’n Roll band to get the party swinging. Things get into gear from 5.30pm.
For traditional Bavarian sing-alongs then The Winzerer Fähndl provides a great atmosphere, as does The Braeurosl. This tent also has live musicians pumping up the heat, and during lunchtime and between 6pm-7pm, it has a group from the South Tyrol performing — providing a burst of traditional song and yodeling!
For wine drinkers there is the popular WeinZelt tent which offers more than 15 different wines in addition to a variety of sparkling wines and champagnes.
The Hofbrau Festzelt is the most popular tent with Americans is Due to its atmosphere and familiar beer, here you’ll find a mix of Americans, Australians, New Zealanders and Brits, rubbing shoulders with the locals.
A dedicated family tent, The Familienplatzl, has family entertainment and facilities, and food suitable for infants.

Oktoberfest Festival Dates and Times

Festival times are 10.00am-10.30pm on weekdays and 9.00am-10.30pm on weekends and holidays. This year’s festival runs from September 20th to October 5th, 2008. The Munich Oktoberfest is held around a same time every year. Dates for 2009 are September 19th - October 4, and 2010 dates are September 18th - October 3rd respectively.

Oktoberfest Information and ReservationsFor general information and beer tent reservations, visit the dedicated Oktoberfest site . This site is jam-packed with useful information and a lighthearted and multi-lingual dictionary of festival terms, for non-Bavarian visitors.

The copyright of the article Munich Oktoberfest 2008 — the Best Beer Tents in W Europe Travel is owned by Gill Hart. Permission to republish Munich Oktoberfest 2008 — the Best Beer Tents in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.