When does Oktoberfest start? All you need to know as festival returns after 2 years

Germany’s Oktoberfest is set to return this September after a two-year-long hiatus. This will be the 187th version of the world's largest folk festival, which will take place at the Theresienwiese in Munich.

At a press conference, Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter made the announcement. The traditional Wiesn tapping is scheduled for Saturday, September 17, 2022, at noon and will go on until October 3. Reiter will open the folk festival again with the traditional "O'zapft is!"

Mayor Reiter, in a statement, noted that he had instructed city and event officials to initiate the staging of the event without conditions and restrictions. He said:

“Ultimately, it’s up to everyone to decide for themselves, whether and how much they want to celebrate."

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Where does the Oktoberfest take place?

The festival's venue is overlooked by a bronze 18-meter-high Bavaria statue. The fairground, where the Spring Festival and the Winter Tollwood take place at other times of the year, is located centrally in Munich, slightly southwest of the city center.

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What is Oide Wiesn?

Oide Wiesn, or Old Oktoberfest in English, is a separate festival known to have a quieter and more traditional atmosphere. It is considered an alternative to the actual celebration when it tends to get overcrowded. It was planned in 2010 as a unique event and is since located in the northwestern part of the Theresienwiese.

Adults are required to pay an admission fee of €3 for adults. Visitors are offered a mini Oktoberfest with nostalgia-filled activities like historical rollercoasters and rides, beer tents with genuine Bavarian customs, and special dark beer.

To secure a place as a group at one of the tables in the tent, attendees can make bookings online or by telephone via the central reservation office of each marquee. For every reservation, the attendees receive beverage and food vouchers.

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Oktoberfest events

Other events at the festival include the Wiesnwirte parade onto the festival grounds, a large procession of traditional costumes and marksmen on the first Sunday of the fest, a stand-up concert under the Bavaria statue, and the firecracker shooting.

On the first Saturday of the Wiesn, the beer tents open at 9 am GMT. From 10 am GMT, there are non-alcoholic drinks and small bites to eat. At 12 midday, the tapping of the barrel takes place in the Schottenhamel beer tent: the Oberbürgermeister (Lord Mayor) taps the first barrel of the Wiesn beer, and then the beer flows across the fest and in all the tents into beer mugs.

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How to get to the fest

Local bands perform are slated to perform at the festival (Image via Oktoberfest)

According to the festival, attendees should enter Theresienwiese or Bavariaring when navigating through online maps. The nearest underground stations for the attendees taking public transport are Theresienwiese, Goetheplatz, and Schwanthalerhöhe, the S-Bahn station from where the fest is within walking distance.