My subjective all-you-need-to-know about Wiesn
Some history, lots of opinions, little practical advice | Tips 19.-21.09
Hi hello and welcome back everyone!
Wiesn/Oktoberfest is just around the corner, and while I felt a little hesitant about making it this week’s guide, I think it’s especially great for people who are new to the city to get a better feel for what’s going down during this ‘5th season of the year’. So, to all my locals: you might be bored or disagree with me on some things - happy to read your takes in the comments.
Let’s start with a very, very brief lesson in history.
Oktoberfest began in Munich in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to a big public party with horse races, food, and beer on a meadow just outside the city walls (later named Theresienwiese, after the bride). The party was such a hit that it became an annual event.
But why Oktoberfest when the majority of it is happening in September?!
The original festival took place in October 1810, so it was named Oktoberfest. Over time, organizers moved the start date earlier into September because the weather is usually better (warmer and more stable), and it allows people to enjoy the beer tents and funfair outside for longer. The festival still ends in early October, so the name stuck.
During the past 215 years, it only had to pause a few dozen times, always due to wars or epidemics (Cholera and Covid).
By the late 19th century, Oktoberfest started looking much like it does today. In 1896, the first big beer halls (“beer castles”) were set up by ambitious innkeepers with local breweries, alongside hearty Bavarian food on what became the famous Wirtsbudenstraße.
At the same time, the fairground side of Oktoberfest grew too: the first carousel and swings appeared in 1818, and by the 1880s Germany’s booming showmen and carousel industry turned it into a full-on amusement park with rides, games, and sideshows.
Today, Oktoberfest is the world’s largest folk festival, attracting around six million visitors each year. For the 200th anniversary in 2010, Munich also introduced the Oide Wiesn (“old Oktoberfest”), a nostalgic version with traditional rides, culture, and even the original horse race - it was so popular that it’s now a yearly fixture.
The thing with Tracht
Many people believe that wearing Tracht, the traditional costume, has always been part of Oktoberfest. But if you ask my parents, they’ll just laugh and tell you that when they were young, only people from the countryside wore Dirndl and Lederhosen. Not in their wildest dreams would they have gone to something festive in “farmers clothes.” Tracht only made its comeback in the late 1990s, especially through designer Lola Paltinger, who created the “luxury” version of the Dirndl and paved the way for its mass commercialization.
A very subjective take on the different kinds of tents
The traditional tents
Augustiner: best beer and great beergarden atmosphere
Bräurosl: cosy and iconic queer sunday
Fischer Vroni: same but queer monday
Hacker: the most beautiful interior and pleasant crowd
Ochsenbraterei: traditional and less party vibes
Armbrustschützen: no clue honestly
Schottenhammel: where I’ve spent my teenage years
Schützen: this one is traditional on paper but the crowd is very ‘bussi bussi’. I have spent my entire twenties in their Schnapsbar and looking back I wish I had explored other tents more. The beer as well as the food is actually atrocious and the practice of kicking half the tent out during the afternoon is sometimes straight up inhumane. If I go, I’ll still end up there 🙄
The ‘chic’ tents
Käfer: the most ‘VIP’ if you will. People claim it’s ‘cosy’ because it has this hut-y vibe. I don’t really get it but we can agree it’s good people watching and the food is better than most places.
Weinzelt: not gonna lie, I had a couple fun (late) nights here (because it’s one of the few that’s open till 1am instead of 10.30pm). But the crowd often is douchy.
Marstall: douchiest crowd. They have a champagne bar, that’s all you need to know.
The tourist tents
Hofbräu: I’ve been once with some Australian friends and it’s a parallel universe to everything listed above. Lots of plastic Tracht and overall rowdy Hostel vibes.
Löwenbräu: Not as rowdy as Hofbräu but also not a local in sight.
Winzerer Fähndl: This isn’t straight up ‘touristy’, it just attracts a more international crowd but in a much more pleasant way.
Last but not least a mix of good advice
No, you don’t necessarily need a reservation for most tents, but they usually close around the afternoon, Fridays around midday, and weekends shortly after opening (which is why we got up in the early mornings back in the day to secure a table). If you happen to know someone who is inside already, there is usually always a way to get in. Get creative. Last resort: bribe waiters/security.
Bring cash. All things inside the tent are cash only. If you have drink vouchers, don’t forget the tip in cash on top.
For my first-timers: don’t wear nice shoes. They’ll be ruined. Also only wear a jacket you’re ready to let go. Chances are high you will be letting go.
If you do lose something, check out the ‘Lost & Found’ the day after. Everything that’s left behind in tents ends up there, so it’s not hopeless!
Stay away from that hill by the Bavaria statue. It’s the ‘vomit hill’.
Don’t try to get a taxi. The streets around Theresienwiese are closed for traffic and it’s a pain in the neck. Just either bike if you still can or take the U-Bahn.
Going out after: keep in mind that some clubs have a strict ‘No-Tracht’ policy. The classic ‘after-Wiesn-partys’ should be avoided at all cost. I’m trying my best to show you some good options over the next 2 weeks.
What’s on this weekend?
19.-21.07
FRIDAY | 19.09
Langos a la Mexicana by Taqueria con Salsa
Szia Szia
From 12pm
Iris Touliatou exhibition opening “Shifts”
Kunstverein München
From 12pm
Late Summerfest
Elisabethmarkt
2-8pm
SATURDAY | 20.09
Baby Schimmerlos Wiesn After
LEGAL Club
From 11pm
Beyond Surface Exhibition
Bergson Gallery
11am-7pm
Suuapinga Matcha Launch
All Suuapinga Cafes
Zwischen den Wegen Installation
Rosengarten
From 2.30pm
Apero Fiori
Studio Stefanie Schäfer
6-10pm
Baaderstraßen Fest / 40 Years Baader Cafe
Baaderstr.
2-10pm
SUNDAY | 21.09
Über den Tellerrand Vegan Potluck Brunch
Dianabadschwelle
11am-1pm
Community Roofgarden
Die Färberei
4-8pm
Hofflohmarkt Aubing
Aubing
10am-4pm
Alright, I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend with or without Wiesn. It’s going to be really hot so you might wanna take the last dip of the year in some of these spots:
See you next week!
Love
Pauli