What you can expect on Oktoberfest 2019? With 38 different beer tents (some can fit as many as 11,00 people) there will be plenty of sites and sounds to take in. Some of the most popular tents are the Hofbräu, Hacker-Pschorr, Schützen, and Schottenhamel tents.
You will definitely want to take photos and videos of your experience and share them with those far and wide. To make your experience even more engaging, you can get the official Oktoberfest App with news updates, the site map, events, tips, and a “Friend Finder.” You can mark your location at the fest and post photos and comments to your friends. With millions of people trying to get online, beat the crowds and stay connected.
Recognized as the world’s largest folk festival, this 209-year-old beer fest actually starts late September and runs until the first Sunday of October. The very first Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810 in Munich (It was to celebrate the royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen).
Highlights of the festival include a parade and the official beer barrel tapping. If you want to recreate your own German folk dancing scene from National Lampoon’s European Vacation, you’re in luck! The Oide Wiesn on the southern section of the festival area is where you can witness all the lederhosen and folk dancing your heart desires.
Over the course of 16 days, revelers will consume 7.5 million liters of beer and over 140,000 pairs of pork sausages.
The festival makes the city of Munich $1.43 billion in tourism money.
Tourists spend money on lodging, food, drinks, transportation, clothing – everyone should rock a dirndl or lederhosen- and souvenirs.
6.3 million people attended Oktoberfest in 2018, but the most-attended festival was in 1985, when 7.1 million people showed up.
Don’t try to steal your stein. Over 101,000 beer mugs were confiscated from patrons trying to sneak them out in 2018. Collector’s mugs are for sale. Save yourself the trouble and get one of those.
In 2018, 840 passports, 460 wallets, 350 phones, and 300 keys turned up at the lost and found. In total, there were 2,685 lost items waiting to be reclaimed.
For Americans, it’s not cheap. The estimated cost for an American to get to Oktoberfest is $5,000.
Everything is expensive, from lodging to airfare. In fact, it’s 85% more expensive to stay in Munich during Oktoberfest than staying there a week before or after. And flights are 500% more expensive.
This year, the average cost of a liter of beer is almost $13 (11.54 Euro).
And last one important fact to have on your mind: one mug of beer at Oktoberfest is equivalent to 8 shots of Schnapps!