Oktoberfest Munich tickets: why there is no entry ticket and how to book a table
If you are looking for Oktoberfest tickets, what you usually need is a table reservation. The five things you can actually buy for the Wiesn, how to reserve, and the prices that contradict each other.
There is no entry ticket for Oktoberfest. The grounds and the tents are open to everyone as long as there is room, and an offer with the word "ticket" in it does not change that.
What is sold under that word is almost always something else: a table reservation, a grandstand seat, a package deal or a ride. This page separates the five products and explains how to book directly with the tents, which you can do from abroad like anyone else.
Which tickets exist for Oktoberfest at all?
| For what | Ticket needed? | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Entering the Theresienwiese | no | not sold |
| A tent without a reservation | no | entry while seats are free |
| A table in a tent | yes, as a reservation | directly with the tent |
| Oide Wiesn (the historic section) | yes, €4 | ticket booth at the entrance |
| Ride | yes, per ride | booth at the ride |
| Grandstand for the costume and riflemen's parade | yes | München Ticket and the usual box offices |
| Official all-inclusive package | yes, from €106 per person | oktoberfest.de, sold out early in 2026 |
On 4 September 2026 the official package was already marked as no longer available. That does not mean every table was taken: each tent manages its own seats.
How do you reserve a table at the Wiesn?
There is no central booking office. You reserve directly with the tent, usually through its own website, and with some tents by phone.
- Pick a tent from the official list of large and small tents.
- Use the reservation channel that this tent itself gives.
- Check group size, day and time slot: usually a whole table for 8 to 10 people is allocated, not a single seat.
- Read the terms: vouchers, payment deadline, cancellation.
- Pay only as the tent instructs, never to a third party.
The tents open reservations at different times, most recently mostly between March and May. If you are planning for Oktoberfest 2027, which by the rule would fall on 18 September to 3 October 2027, check the tents' websites from the spring.
A reservation ties you to a day and a time, so your room should match it. The places to stay in Munich on the Oktoberfest dates show which nights before and after your reserved day are still free.
Compare stays for the Oktoberfest →Affiliate link: a booking through this link supports the site, at no extra cost to you.What does a table reservation cost?
The reservation itself is free. What you pay in advance are vouchers for beer and food, and their value varies by tent, day and time. The sources give figures that do not match:
- official site, average: around €350 per table
- Munich Tourism, big tents: €35 to €45 per person
- Spiegel, 2026 example: around €50 per person, around €500 for a table of ten
- booking platforms: €40 to €50 per person
- other travel guides: €300 to €400 per table
- some small tents: €50 per person during the day, €75 in the evening and at weekends
On top of that, fees of up to €1.50 per person and actual postage costs are allowed. The voucher often equals two Mass (one-litre beers) and half a roast chicken per person, so if you drink little, you pay for more than you consume.
How many seats stay free without a reservation?
According to the official FAQ, as a rule a quarter of the seats cannot be reserved. At weekends and on public holidays, the unreserved share is half until 3pm, then at least a quarter. The tent beer gardens cannot be reserved at all.
Free does not mean guaranteed. When reservations change over in the 4pm to 6pm window, the big tents often close their main entrance. If you come without a reservation, plan a weekday morning, as described on the page about getting into the Oktoberfest.
How do you spot a dubious ticket offer?
An offer that sells an "Oktoberfest ticket" as entry is selling something that does not exist. Behind such sites are resold reservations, travel packages or simply mark-ups on vouchers that cost less at the tent.
Three checks help: does the offer name a specific tent, a day and a time slot, is the price roughly in line with the figures above, and does the payment go to the tent itself? If any one of them is missing, be careful.
Without a table, you can still see the Wiesn with a guide: walks and tours of the grounds are sold separately, often with free cancellation. The activities in Munich show dates and prices.
See activities in Munich →Affiliate link: a booking through this link supports the site, at no extra cost to you.If you are counting on a seat in the morning without a reservation, stay close to the U4 and U5 lines or within walking distance of the Theresienwiese. The places to stay in Munich can be sorted by distance to the Wiesn.
Find rooms near the Wiesn →Affiliate link: a booking through this link supports the site, at no extra cost to you.Further reading
Prices of beer, water and food: Oktoberfest prices. The dates of the next editions: When is Oktoberfest? The tent with the ox on the spit: the Ochsenbraterei.
Sources
Sources: oktoberfest.de (visitor FAQ, table reservation page, Package for the Oktoberfest, as of September 2026), muenchen.de (visitor FAQ 2026), munichtourism.org (Oktoberfest guide 2026), Spiegel (18 September 2026).
There is no single price for reservations, and no body publishes the terms of all the tents in one place. Research as of 28 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a ticket for Oktoberfest?
Where do you reserve a table at Oktoberfest?
How much does a table in a beer tent cost?
Can you reserve a single seat?
Where can you get tickets for the costume and riflemen's parade?
Sophie Hartinger
Sophie worked at the front desk of a city-centre hotel for five years and answered the same questions about car parks and the U-Bahn every day. She writes the pages she would have liked to hand to her guests. She checks every price with the operator, never in a guidebook.
