How do I reserve a table at the Oktoberfest?
There is no central reservation office for a table at the Oktoberfest, but each marquee offers its own reservation options. Landlords and the city of Munich strongly advise against all other sources of supply. You should reserve a table months in advance, starting in March or April. If you attend too late, you often only get remaining places at noon or in the afternoon – if at all.
Reservations in the tents are usually linked to a minimum consumption per person (often two liters of beer and half a chicken) and are only possible for eight or ten people or more. It is not possible to reserve individual seats at a table. On their websites, the hosts announce which days, at what times and under what conditions tables are still available.
The reservation websites of the large marquees:
Can you get an Oktoberfest table without a reservation?
It depends on the day and time of the visit. If you don’t necessarily want to go to the marquee in the evening or on weekends and public holidays, you definitely have a chance of getting a free table. In principle, not all places in the tents may be reserved. The hosts must leave tables free for spontaneous visitors. The city of Munich has set precise rules for how many that is.
However, these reservation-free tables can fill up quickly. If the tent is too full, it might be worth taking a look at the beer garden – because there the tables are generally exempt from reservations.
Are there reserved Wiesn tables especially for Munich residents?
Yes. Since 2015, hosts have been allowed to allocate some of the tables that cannot actually be reserved to people with a main residence in Munich on weekends and public holidays. There is no minimum consumption at these tables, but there is a small reservation fee. This so-called Munich contingent is limited and usually gone quickly. For this type of table reservation, you usually have to go to a point of sale specified by the host with your ID card a few weeks before the Oktoberfest. The hosts inform about the details on their websites.
What if the big tents are full?
The smaller tents at the Oktoberfest, which also offer tables for reservation, offer the first obvious alternatives. Although the crowds are not cavorting in these tents, you have a place for it and the atmosphere is no less exuberant. But be careful, the same applies here: better be there early.
Small tent reservation websites:
Ore Wiesn as another option
Alternatively, there are the festival tents at the Oidn Wiesn, a separate area that costs three euros to enter. The Oide Wiesn is reminiscent of an Oktoberfest from times long past. It’s less excessive here, but no less fun.
Reservations can be made at Marquee traditionin the Volkssänger tent Schützenliesl and in Heart Punch Tent. An insider tip, when everything is overcrowded, is the one that is a little off the beaten track museum tent.