Oktoberfest Tents 2026: Complete Guide to All 38 Beer Tents in Munich

Last updated: April 18, 2026 · Reading time: ~20 minutes

Quick answer: Oktoberfest 2026 runs from September 19 to October 4, 2026 at Theresienwiese in Munich. The festival has 14 large tents and 20 small tents on the main grounds, plus 4 additional tents in the historic Oide Wiesn section — 38 tents in total. Entry is free. A Maß of Festbier is projected at €15.20–€15.80. Reservations open between January and March each year directly through each tent's official website.

Table of Contents

1. Oktoberfest Tents at a Glance
2. How Many Beer Tents Are at Oktoberfest?
3. Why Visit the Beer Tents?
4. Master Comparison: All 14 Large Tents
5. The 14 Large Beer Tents
6. The Oide Wiesn Tents (Historic Section)
7. The 20 Small Beer Tents
8. How to Reserve a Table
9. What the Beer Costs in 2026
10. Frequently Asked Questions

Oktoberfest Tents at a Glance

How Many Beer Tents Are at Oktoberfest?

Oktoberfest 2026 features 14 large tents on the main Wiesn grounds, each with a seating capacity between roughly 3,000 and 10,000, plus 20 small tents with capacities from 60 to 1,500. A separate historic section called the Oide Wiesn adds 4 more tents with a €4 entry fee. Together that's 38 tent-style venues.

Every large tent is sponsored by one of Munich's six official Oktoberfest breweries: Augustiner-Bräu, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, Löwenbräu, and Hofbräu. These are the only breweries legally allowed to serve beer at Oktoberfest under Munich city rules dating back to the 1818 edict protecting the city's brewing tradition.

The tents are temporary wooden structures, built new each year starting in June and fully dismantled within weeks after the festival closes.

Why Visit the Beer Tents?

Each tent is a self-contained world with its own:

• Host family or brewery, shaping the culture inside
• Signature beer from one of the six Munich breweries
• Atmosphere, ranging from international party to traditional Bavarian family setting
• House band and music style, from brass by day to rock or pop after 5 PM
• Food menu, with most tents building around one speciality (roast ox, fish, duck, knuckle, dumplings)

Choosing the right tent is the single most important decision for your visit. Pick wrong and you'll feel lost in a tourist crush or out of place at a locals-only party. The guide below groups tents by vibe so you can match the tent to what you actually want.

Master Comparison: All 14 Large Tents

Reservation difficulty key: Medium = likely available in April–May. High = apply in January, confirm March. Very High = apply the moment reservations open in early January; expect to be turned down on first try.

The 14 Large Beer Tents

1. Augustiner-Festhalle

The oldest large tent on the Wiesn still operating under the same brewery, Augustiner-Festhalle dates to 1898 and is the tent most Munich locals will tell you to visit first. It serves Augustiner-Bräu straight from 200-litre wooden barrels — a detail only a handful of tents still honour — and the resulting beer is widely considered the smoothest at the festival.

The atmosphere stays traditional and family-friendly even late in the evening. The house band plays brass until the dinner shift, then shifts into folk dance and modern hits. The kitchen sources meat from its own in-house butcher.

• Brewery: Augustiner-Bräu
• Capacity: 6,000 inside · 2,500 beer garden
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:00
• Owners: Manfred and Thomas Vollmer
• Vibe: Traditional, family-friendly
• Known for: Beer from wooden barrels, classic brass music

2. Armbrustschützen-Festzelt (Crossbow Tent)

Founded in 1895, Armbrustschützen is the only tent with a 30-metre indoor crossbow shooting range, and it hosts the German Crossbow Championship every year during the festival. Despite its 5,830 seats, the atmosphere is noticeably calmer than nearby tents — it attracts Bavarian sport-shooting clubs and families more than the party crowd.

Paulaner is served in stone mugs, the kitchen leans into meat and dumplings, and the house band Platzl-Oktoberfestkapelle keeps the music traditional. This is a good pick if you want a large-tent experience without the sensory overload.

• Brewery: Paulaner
• Capacity: 5,830 inside · 1,620 beer garden
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30
• Owners: Family Inselkammer
• Vibe: Traditional, sport-themed, calmer
• Known for: Crossbow championships, classic Bavarian cuisine

3. Pschorr-Bräurosl

Pschorr-Bräurosl has been at Oktoberfest for over 120 years and received a major overhaul in 2022 that raised the tent to 15 metres — the tallest on the Wiesn. The covered outdoor loggia and bright Bavarian colour palette make it feel lighter and more open than other traditional tents.

The tent is home to the festival's only live in-house yodeller, and Gay Sunday (the first Sunday of the festival) is hosted here — one of the festival's most joyful events.

• Brewery: Hacker-Pschorr
• Capacity: 6,490 inside · 1,760 beer garden
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30
• Owner: Peter Reichert
• Vibe: Traditional Bavarian, inclusive
• Known for: Rosa Wiesn (Gay Sunday), resident yodeller, real Bräurosl appearance on horseback

4. Fischer-Vroni

The only tent at Oktoberfest with fish as its core identity. Fischer-Vroni grills Steckerlfisch — whole mackerel, salmon trout, whitefish and char on wooden sticks — on a 15-metre open grill at the centre of the tent. The smell alone is worth the visit.

Augustiner arrives from wooden barrels. The tent is also famous for its "Gay Monday" tradition, which extends the inclusive spirit of Pschorr-Bräurosl's Gay Sunday into the following day and has made Fischer-Vroni a fixture of Munich's LGBTQ+ calendar.

• Brewery: Augustiner-Bräu Wagner KG
• Capacity: 3,162 inside · 700 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30
• Owner: Johann Stadtmüller
• Vibe: Traditional, culinary, LGBTQ+-friendly
• Known for: Steckerlfisch, Gay Monday, wooden-barrel Augustiner

5. Käfer Wiesn-Schänke

The celebrity tent. Käfer is where you'll find politicians, actors, footballers and Munich's business elite — not by accident, but because the Käfer family has run Munich's most prestigious catering operation for decades and their Oktoberfest tent is an extension of it. Reservations here are the hardest to secure of any tent.

The tent is the only one open until 01:00 AM, two hours later than the others, and the atmosphere stays more cocktail-bar than beer-tent after midnight.

• Brewery: Paulaner
• Capacity: 1,100 inside · 1,950 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 01:00
• Owners: Michael and Clarissa Käfer
• Vibe: Exclusive, rustic-luxe, late-night
• Known for: Crispy Käfer duck, celebrity-spotting, latest closing time

6. Hacker-Festzelt

Known as "Himmel der Bayern" (Bavarian Heaven) for its ceiling: a 2,000-square-metre painted canvas of blue sky with clouds and Munich landmarks that retracts open in good weather. The effect is genuinely unforgettable.

The tent has the best music programme on the Wiesn for party-goers: Die Kirchdorfer's brass until 19:00, then Cagey Strings for rock and international pop until late. The crowd skews younger and louder than most traditional tents.

• Brewery: Hacker-Pschorr
• Capacity: 6,838 inside · 2,540 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30
• Owners: Christl and Toni Roiderer
• Vibe: Lively, young, party
• Known for: Retractable sky ceiling, rock music after 19:00, atmospheric closing Sunday

7. Hofbräu-Festzelt

If you are visiting Oktoberfest from abroad for the first time, this is the tent most guides will point you to — and for good reason. Hofbräu-Festzelt is the most international tent on the Wiesn, with a standing area under hop vines that's open to walk-ins without a reservation. Staff speak fluent English. The playlist blends pop hits with traditional tunes.

The flip side: it's the most tourist-dense tent at the festival, which many locals now avoid. If you want an "Oktoberfest as you've seen it in movies" experience, come here. If you want authentic Bavarian, pick a different tent.

• Brewery: Hofbräu München
• Capacity: 6,018 seated · ~1,000 standing · 3,022 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30
• Owners: Silja, Margot, and Günter Steinberg
• Vibe: International, party, very crowded
• Known for: Standing area, international crowd, English pop music

8. Kufflers Weinzelt (Wine Tent)

The only large tent on the Wiesn that is not beer-focused. Kufflers serves over 15 wines, Prosecco and champagne, with wheat beer available until 21:00 and wine-only afterwards. The result is a different crowd — older, smarter-dressed, and heavy on regulars and celebrities after 21:00.

Closing time is 01:00, matching Käfer. The menu blends Bavarian classics with Asian-inflected dishes from the wider Kuffler restaurant group.

• Drinks: Wheat beer until 21:00 · wine, Prosecco, champagne afterwards
• Capacity: 1,920 inside · 580 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 01:00
• Owners: Doris, Sebastian, and Stephan Kuffler
• Vibe: Wine bar, late-night, older crowd
• Known for: Only wine tent, extended hours, celebrity regulars

9. Löwenbräu-Festhalle

Marked from a block away by a 4.5-metre mechanical lion above the entrance that roars "Löööwenbräu" every few minutes while raising a Maß. Inside, 16,000 light bulbs give the ceiling an English-pub glow that is unlike anything else at the festival.

Löwenbräu-Festhalle has been here since 1910 and is traditionally packed with Italian visitors — there is a long-standing Italian weekend (the middle weekend of the festival) when a large share of guests arrive from Lombardy and the Veneto.

• Brewery: Löwenbräu
• Capacity: 5,700 inside · 2,800 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30
• Owner: Stephanie Spendler
• Vibe: Festive, English-pub inflected
• Known for: Roaring lion entrance, Italian weekend crowd, TSV 1860 München supporters

10. Marstall-Festzelt

The newest of the large tents, introduced in 2014, and the most architecturally distinct. Marstall is styled as an Art Nouveau pavilion celebrating Oktoberfest's origins as a horse race — the interior features carved horses on a revolving music carousel, and equestrian detail runs through the decor.

The daytime mood is calm enough to take kids; the evening shifts into full-volume party with the Royal Bavarian Full Throttle Orchestra. A solid middle-ground tent if you can't choose between traditional and party.

• Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
• Capacity: 3,200 seated · 230 standing · 882 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30
• Owners: Siegfried and Sabine Able and family
• Vibe: Art Nouveau, family-by-day, party-by-night
• Known for: Equestrian theme, music carousel, vegetarian and vegan menu

11. Ochsenbraterei (Ox Tent)

Since 1881, Ochsenbraterei has been the tent built around one dish: spit-roasted ox. Around 90 locally sourced oxen are roasted across the 16 days, and the tent displays each ox's name and final weight on a plaque — a detail many first-timers find strange and then charming.

The atmosphere is classic Bavarian during lunch and shifts to modern brass-led party in the evenings. Sustainability is a genuine focus here — the kitchen runs an organic-where-possible supply chain.

• Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
• Capacity: 5,900 inside · 1,646 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30
• Owners: Antje and Luis Haberl
• Vibe: Classic Bavarian, meat-focused
• Known for: Spit-roasted ox, named-animal plaques, Mathias Achatz brass band

12. Paulaner Festzelt (Winzerer Fähndl)

Recognisable from anywhere on the Wiesn by the giant rotating Maß on top of the Paulaner Tower. The tent has served Paulaner since 1895 and is a cornerstone for Munich locals and for football supporters (FC Bayern has strong ties here).

2026 note: Winzerer Fähndl is transitioning to a new host for the first time in decades — the biggest shift among the large tents this year. Expect some menu and music-programme changes; the tower and the Paulaner contract remain.

• Brewery: Paulaner
• Capacity: 6,385 inside · 1,980 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30
• Owner: Arabella Schörghuber
• Vibe: Local, classic, relaxed
• Known for: Rotating Maß tower, Paulaner supply, new host for 2026

13. Schottenhamel

This is where Oktoberfest officially begins. At noon on opening Saturday, the Lord Mayor of Munich taps the first keg with the cry of "O'zapft is!" — only then can any other tent start serving. The ceremony has happened here since 1950, and for that reason alone Schottenhamel occupies a special place in the festival.

Outside the opening hour, Schottenhamel is known for drawing the youngest crowd on the Wiesn. Square bench arrangements encourage mingling; the evening shifts into near-club volume. Best for anyone in their 20s.

• Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
• Capacity: 6,288 inside · 2,742 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30 (opening noon on Sat 19 Sep 2026)
• Owners: Christian and Michael F. Schottenhamel
• Vibe: Young, lively, ceremonial
• Known for: Opening keg tapping, youngest average age, Otto Schwarzfischer band

14. Schützen-Festzelt

Tucked at the foot of the Bavaria statue, Schützen-Festzelt is smaller than the headline tents but has the best south-facing balcony on the Wiesn — a genuine view over the festival. It was fully renovated in 2015 and its reputation has climbed steadily since.

The menu is unusually ambitious for a large tent: suckling pig in malt-beer sauce, bacon coleslaw, Kaiserschmarrn for dessert. Die Niederalmer play traditional brass by day; rock and pop take over after dark.

• Brewery: Löwenbräu
• Capacity: 4,923 seated · 120 standing · 1,235 outside
• Hours: 10:00 – 23:30
• Owners: Eduard Reinbold and family
• Vibe: Warm, slightly upmarket, balcony views
• Known for: South-facing balcony, suckling pig, diverse crowd

The Oide Wiesn Tents (Historic Section)

The Oide Wiesn — "old Wiesn" in Bavarian — is a separately ticketed section (€4 entry, free for children under 14) at the south end of Theresienwiese. It recreates Oktoberfest as it looked before 1980: vintage rides, historic music, lower beer prices (~€14.60 per Maß), and a calmer, more traditional atmosphere. For anyone who wants the authentic experience without the tourist crush, this is where to go.

Oide Wiesn hosts four tents in 2026:

Festzelt Tradition

The anchor tent of the Oide Wiesn, with 8,050 total seats spread across an interior hall and a large outdoor Franziskaner wheat-beer garden. Augustiner is served from stone steins filled directly from wooden barrels. The children's lemonade fountain, daily folk dance, and exclusively Bavarian brass music make it the most family-friendly big tent at the festival.

• Brewery: Augustiner · Franziskaner in the wheat-beer garden
• Capacity: 5,000 inside · 3,050 outside
• Owners: Toni Winklhofer and Peter Wieser
• Vibe: Traditional Bavarian, family, folk dance
• Known for: Munich Oktoberfest Musicians, children's lemonade fountain

Herzkasperl-Festzelt

Herzkasperl is a Munich cultural-scene tent — music, cabaret, and literature intersect here under one roof. Hacker-Pschorr is served from clay pitchers rather than stone mugs. The kitchen caters well for vegetarians and vegans, unusually so for Oktoberfest.

• Brewery: Hacker-Pschorr
• Capacity: 1,748 inside · 1,100 outside
• Owner: Josef Bachmaier
• Vibe: Cultural, musical, alternative
• Known for: Cabaret and literature events, clay-pitcher service

Schützenlisl

Added in 2022 as a folk-singing tent (Volkssängerzelt), Schützenlisl is the smallest of the Oide Wiesn venues and the best place at the festival to hear traditional Bavarian Gstanzl and tavern music. Audience participation in singalongs is expected.

• Brewery: Augustiner and Hacker-Pschorr
• Capacity: 1,396 inside · 400 outside
• Owners: Lorenz and Christine Stiftl
• Vibe: Folk-singing, cosy, participative
• Known for: Traudi Siferlinger's daily music programme, Bavarian tavern songs

Museumszelt

The fourth tent rotates content year to year, usually curated around an Oktoberfest historical theme. Expect period decor, rarer beer styles, and lower music volume than any other tent.

The 20 Small Beer Tents

The small tents (60–1,500 seats) are where many Munich locals spend their Wiesn time. They are quieter, easier to walk into without a reservation, and almost always better for conversation than the big tents. Most are built around a food speciality rather than a brewery.

1. Ammer Hühner- und Entenbraterei

The world's oldest chicken roastery, operating at Oktoberfest since 1885 and one of the few tents to serve beer from wooden casks. Organic poultry and duck dominate the menu; the atmosphere skews family during the day and party in the evening.

• Brewery: Augustiner · Capacity: 465 in · 472 out · Speciality: Organic chicken and duck

2. Bodo's Cafézelt & Cocktailbar

Over 25 years at the Wiesn. Day-time café with homemade Kirschwasser donuts, evening cocktail bar with live music. Prosecco, champagne and cocktails replace beer after dark.

• Capacity: 465 in · 108 standing · Speciality: Kirschwasser donuts, evening cocktails

3. Café Kaiserschmarrn

Rischart's tent, themed like a sugar castle near the Bavaria statue. Kaiserschmarrn is prepared live in a giant pan. Free wedding cake served daily at 14:00. Hosts the only catwalk on the Wiesn for music acts.

• Capacity: 400 · Speciality: Kaiserschmarrn, on-site confectionery

4. Café Theres

Formerly Café Mohrenkopf, Café Theres is a cake-and-tart tent with murals of Munich's English Garden. No beer served. Wine, cocktails and savoury snacks in the evening make it a popular quiet-break venue.

• Drinks: No beer · wine and cocktails · Capacity: 398 seated · 23 standing · Speciality: Freshly baked cakes and tarts

5. Feisingers Kas- und Weinstubn

The cheese tent — raclette, Schupfnudeln, and cheese Spätzle, with a strong vegetarian following. Recognisable by the "cheese Pacman" sculpture on the roof. A kids' menu and lunch specials make it the tent's "living room of the Oktoberfest" reputation hold up.

• Capacity: 98 in · 60 out · Speciality: Swiss raclette, Alpine cheese

6. Fisch-Bäda

Small fish-focused tent running since 2013. Over 20 fish dishes including Arctic char, pike-perch, and oysters. Organic kids' meals and stroller access make it unusually family-friendly for a food-forward tent.

• Brewery: Hacker-Pschorr · Capacity: 133 in · 48 out · 70 standing · Speciality: 20+ fish dishes

7. Glöckle Wirt

One of the most visually striking small tents, decorated with antique instruments, sleds, and oil paintings. Spaten beer and Franziskaner wheat beer; a Weißwurst breakfast special at 99 cents runs on weekdays before noon.

• Brewery: Spaten · Franziskaner · Capacity: 226 in · 30 out · 45 standing · Speciality: 99-cent Weißwurst breakfast

8. Goldener Hahn

Alpine-themed with a small beer garden. Poultry-focused menu — chicken, goose, duck — with breakfast served until noon. Traditional "Stubenmusi" during the day, Schuhplattler dance on Mondays and Wednesdays.

• Capacity: 304 in · 57 out · Speciality: Poultry, Schuhplattler afternoons

9. Heimer Hendl- und Entenbraterei

A 40-year veteran and one of the last real spit-roasted chicken and duck tents. Music-free by design, which is genuinely rare at Oktoberfest and makes Heimer a refuge for anyone who wants to hear their table-mates.

• Brewery: Paulaner · Hacker-Pschorr · Capacity: 346 · Speciality: Spit-roasted chicken and duck, music-free

10. Heinz Wurst- und Hühnerbraterei

Running since 1906. Sausage and poultry specialities, with Paulaner on tap. Unterbrunner Haderlumpen live music from 17:00 daily.

• Capacity: 384 · Speciality: Sausages and roast poultry

11. Hochreiter's Haxnbraterei

Serves around 10,000 pork and veal knuckles per season. Capacity is small enough (250) that service stays personal, and re-entry is allowed with a reserved seat — a guest-friendly policy most tents don't match.

• Brewery: Löwenbräu · Capacity: 250 · Speciality: Pork and veal knuckle (Haxn)

12. Kalbsbraterei

Hochreiter's veal tent, established 1973. Traditional by day, disco by night — among the few small tents that shift mood that dramatically. Tender roast veal is the headline.

• Brewery: Löwenbräu · Franziskaner · Capacity: 300 · Speciality: Roast veal, evening disco

13. Metzger Stubn (Vinzenzmurr)

Established 1986 by the Brandl family. Alpine-hut styling, meat-focused menu sourced from Hofgut Schwaige, and a steady lunch crowd of Munich business regulars. One of the most "insider" small tents.

• Brewery: Paulaner · Capacity: 130 · Speciality: Munich Leberkäs, ox entrecôte

14. Münchner Knödelei

The dumpling tent, run by Florian and Bettina Oberndorfer. Classic round Knödel alongside inventive squared-off pretzel dumplings and Munich-style variants infused with roast pork and Paulaner.

• Capacity: 399 in · 400 out · 26 standing · Speciality: Traditional and inventive dumplings

15. Münchner Stubn

Climate-neutral tent styled as a Munich townhouse, with Wi-Fi and USB ports at the tables — the only tent with either. Wickenhäuser family operation with a broad Bavarian menu and good vegetarian and vegan options.

• Brewery: Paulaner · Capacity: 440 · Speciality: Climate-neutral operation, modern amenities

16. Poschner's Hühner- und Entenbraterei

Since 1926. Märzen beer poured from a wooden barrel alongside the standard Hacker-Pschorr. Award-winning accessibility and one of the first climate-neutral tents at the festival.

• Brewery: Hacker-Pschorr · Capacity: 400 · Speciality: Barrel Märzen, accessibility

17. Schiebl's Kaffeehaferl

Sixty seats and a deliberately hidden entrance. Coffee, apple fritters, and a cult cocktail called the Hulk (Prosecco and woodruff syrup). A regulars' venue where Children's Day brings the biggest family crowd.

• Capacity: 60 · Speciality: Coffee, apple fritters, the "Hulk" cocktail

18. Wiesn Guglhupf

A café-turn-bar focused on Guglhupf cake — nut, poppy seed, marble, and savoury bacon-and-onion variants. Coffee and tea during the day, Prosecco and wine at night, with a 360-degree view of the festival.

• Capacity: 60 in · 135 standing out · Speciality: Guglhupf cake

19. Wildstuben

A forest-lodge-themed game tent near Goetheplatz U-Bahn. Roast wild boar, saddle of venison, and Bavarian classics. The second-floor balcony is one of the best Oktoberfest vantage points.

• Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner · Capacity: 751 · 32 standing · Speciality: Game cuisine

20. Wirtshaus im Schichtl

The Schichtl tradition dates to 1869 — an Oktoberfest theatrical institution best known for the hourly "execution" show next door. Exclusively organic menu from the Herrmannsdorfer farm, including white sausages, venison goulash, and Kaiserschmarrn.

• Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner · Capacity: 213 seated · 102 standing · Speciality: Organic menu, hourly theatrical "execution"

Bonus: Zur Bratwurst (Hochreiter's)

Previously known as Bratwurstglöckl, rebranded in 2000 under Michi Beck's ownership. Augustiner from original 200-litre wooden barrels, bratwurst front and centre, plus pork knuckle and vegetarian options. Live rock in the evenings.

• Brewery: Augustiner-Bräu Wagner KG · Capacity: 558 in · 239 out · 42 standing · Speciality: Bratwurst, wooden-barrel Augustiner

How to Reserve a Table

You do not need a reservation to enter a tent. Entry is free for all tents until they hit capacity. But once a tent is full — often by 15:00 on weekends — you can't get in without one. Reservations guarantee your seat.

Key rules:

• Reservations are per table (8–10 seats), never per person.
• Each reservation requires a minimum consumption of vouchers — typically 2 Maß of beer plus ½ roast chicken per person.
• A weekend evening 10-person reservation runs €400–€600 in pre-paid vouchers.
• Reservations are made directly with each tent via its official website. Never use third-party resellers — reselling reservations is illegal under Munich city rules.
• Booking windows open between January and March of the festival year. For the most in-demand tents (Käfer, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Schottenhamel), apply the moment the window opens.
• Many tents require a full-table reservation for evening slots but accept smaller groups or walk-ins at lunchtime.

Walking in without a reservation: Arrive before 11:00 on weekdays or before 10:00 on weekends, and head straight to the beer-garden section of the tent. No reservations are required outside, and seating is first-come, first-served.

What the Beer Costs in 2026

Official 2026 prices are set by the tent proprietors (not the City of Munich) and announced in June 2026. Based on the 2025 range of €14.50–€15.80 and the typical annual increase of 3–3.5%, a Maß in the main tents is projected at €15.20–€15.80 for 2026.

Other prices to budget:

Cash rules: Most tents are cash-only for walk-in service. Some accept cards only for pre-paid reservations. Withdraw Euros before arriving — ATMs on the grounds charge high fees. Tip €1–€2 per Maß directly to your server; this is the Bavarian standard, not a US-style percentage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tents are at Oktoberfest 2026? There are 14 large tents and 20 small tents on the main Wiesn grounds, plus 4 tents in the historic Oide Wiesn section — 38 total.

Do I need a reservation to get into a tent? No. Entry to every tent is free until it reaches capacity. A reservation guarantees your seat during busy hours; on weekend evenings, most tents are full without one.

Which is the best Oktoberfest tent for first-time international visitors? Hofbräu-Festzelt is the most international and English-friendly tent, with a standing area for walk-ins. If you want a more traditional experience, try Augustiner-Festhalle or any of the Oide Wiesn tents.

How much does an Oktoberfest table cost? A 10-person table with vouchers for 2 Maß and ½ chicken per person runs €400–€600 for a weekend evening. Weekday lunchtime reservations cost less. Only the official tent websites sell reservations; reselling is illegal.

Are Oktoberfest tents cash-only? Most tents are cash-only for walk-in service. Card payment is usually only accepted for pre-paid reservation vouchers. Bring Euros in cash.

Which tents have the longest hours? Käfer Wiesn-Schänke and Kufflers Weinzelt stay open until 01:00. All other tents close at 23:30.

Which tents serve which beer? Augustiner: Augustiner-Festhalle, Fischer-Vroni, Festzelt Tradition, Zur Bratwurst · Paulaner: Armbrustschützen, Käfer, Winzerer Fähndl, Münchner Stubn, Metzger Stubn · Hacker-Pschorr: Pschorr-Bräurosl, Hacker-Festzelt, Herzkasperl, Poschner's, Fisch-Bäda · Spaten-Franziskaner: Marstall, Ochsenbraterei, Schottenhamel, Wildstuben, Glöckle Wirt · Löwenbräu: Löwenbräu-Festhalle, Schützen-Festzelt, Hochreiter's, Kalbsbraterei · Hofbräu: Hofbräu-Festzelt only.

Which tents are best for families? Festzelt Tradition (Oide Wiesn), Augustiner-Festhalle, Marstall, Fisch-Bäda, and Ammer. All welcome children, but remember: under-6s must leave the tents by 20:00.

How early do Oktoberfest reservations open for 2026? Most tents open reservation requests between January and March 2026. Popular tents like Käfer and Hofbräu receive thousands of applications in the first week — apply early, expect to be turned down for peak dates on first try.

Can I enter a tent without a reservation? Yes, before the tent fills up. On weekdays before 15:00 and most mornings, walk-ins fill the majority of seats. On Friday evenings, Saturdays, and all of opening weekend, expect closed doors after midday without a reservation.

Are tents permanent structures? No. All 38 tents are temporary wooden structures, built new each year starting in June and fully dismantled by late October.

How crowded does Oktoberfest get? About 6.5 million people attended in 2025 across 16 days. The 42-hectare Theresienwiese absorbs the crowd well on weekdays but gets genuinely packed on weekends, Italian weekend (the middle Saturday/Sunday), and opening weekend.

Planning Your 2026 Visit

If you've picked your tent, the next steps are booking a hotel near Theresienwiese, reserving a table through the tent's official website, and choosing your Tracht. Wearing Lederhosen or a Dirndl is expected rather than optional — over 80% of festival-goers, including locals, dress up.

Prost!

Last reviewed April 18, 2026. Tent details and capacities verified against the official Munich city data and each tent's current season announcements. Capacities, owners, and music programmes can shift between years; reservation rules are confirmed in June each year by the City of Munich.