The Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or late-September to around the first Sunday in October, with more than six million people from around the world attending the event every year.
The traditional Wiesn tapping is planned for Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 12 noon. Then Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter is to open the world's largest folk festival again with the traditional "O'zapft is!". Other traditional events around the Wiesn are also on the program again: the parade of the Wiesnwirte onto the festival grounds, the large procession of traditional costumes and marksmen on the first Sunday of the Oktoberfest, the stand-up concert under the Bavaria or the firecracker shooting.
Image source: Oktoberfest.de
Travelers Tips
- The drinking age for beer and wine in Germany is 16 years old. Distilled alcohols, like spirits, can be purchased at age 18.
- Children are allowed on the festival grounds. Children are allowed in the beer tents as well, but children under six-years-old must leave the tents by 8 p.m., even if they are with their parents.
- You won't have much problem in Munich if you can't speak German. Most Germans started learning English in school as early as age 10, if not before. A large majority of Germans under the age of 50 know enough English to hold a conversation or give you directions.
- There are enough facilities in the tents. But in a tent with thousands of people drinking thousands of liters of beer there also is a clear need for these! For men, this usually means a wait between 5 and 10 minutes in the line. For women, this usually means a wait between 10 and 20 minutes in the line.
- Tips are no more than 10 to 15% of the beer or food price.
Source: mybucketlistevents.com
