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Oktoberfest 2016

Important information for visitors travelling to the Munich Oktoberfest from the 17 September until the 3 October.

From:
British Embassy Berlin
Published
1 September 2016
Coachman in traditional dress with his horse, By Hullbr3ach [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

Coachman in traditional dress with his horse, By Hullbr3ach [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

It’s time to dust off your Tracht – Oktoberfest is upon us once again. Spanning over two weeks, the traditional Bavarian festivities offer something for the whole family. If you are planning to make the best of what the “Wiesn” has to offer, do your research beforehand, read about the new security concept and check out our travel advice for useful information and contact details.

The first beer barrel will be tapped by the Mayor of Munich on 17 September. From late morning up until 10:30pm each day the Oktoberfest will be open to visitors wishing to immerse themselves in Bavarian traditions. The festival ends on 3 October when organisers will almost immediately start taking reservations for next year.

This year, the Munich police have introduced a new security concept. When visiting the festival site, follow all advice given to you by the police or the authorities.

  • a fence now surrounds the festival area and entry and exit is only available through certain ‘gates’

  • rucksacks, large bags or heavy bags cannot be brought onto the site

  • there will be security checks at each gate and police might check inside smaller bags

  • The exit procedure of the U-Bahn station ‘Theresienwiese’ has also been changed to ensure that all arriving visitors will also be checked

The majority of the visits to the Oktoberfest are trouble-free but consular officers from the British Consulate-General stand ready to offer assistance where it’s needed. We have been liaising with the local authorities to ensure that British visitors know how to access help in the event of an emergency.

You can make the most of your visit if you take some simple precautions and follow the advice of local authorities. You should:

  • take out comprehensive travel insurance before travelling to Germany, even if you’re only going for a few days

  • keep on your person a separate record of your passport details, preferably a photocopy of the details pages with the next of kin details, and the name, address and telephone number of your accommodation

  • take care of your personal possessions at all times. Crowded areas such as the Oktoberfest can attract pick-pockets. Remember, large bags and rucksacks are not permitted

  • and remember, the beer served during the event is much stronger than most beer served in the UK (typically around 6%) and the traditional Stein glass holds nearly two pints. So please bear in mind the consequences and risks of overindulging which can lead to accidents and difficulties with the local authorities

If you are visiting, have a good Oktoberfest 2016. For further information please visit the below websites and follow our updates on Twitter.

Oktoberfest Security Concept

British Consulate-General, Munich

Munich Tourist office

Get travel updates on Twitter from either @UKinGermany for Germany specific information, or @fcotravel for general information.

Published 1 September 2016