Oktoberfest 2027. The 192nd Wiesn runs September 18 to October 3, 2027 on the Theresienwiese. Entry is free. In 2026 a Maß cost €14.80 to €15.90 depending on the tent, so budget €17 a liter with the tip.
Without a reservation. Tent tables are allocated by each tent’s operator from early in the year, mostly to regulars and firms; nothing is sold through a ticket site. The big tents keep sections unreserved on weekdays until mid-afternoon, so arrive before 11 a.m. Monday to Thursday, sit, and wait for a server. The small tents (Ammer, Zur Bratwurst, Café Kaiserschmarrn) seat walk-ins all day. Avoid weekend afternoons and evenings without a booking.
Beer gardens. The rule is the same everywhere: a table with a cloth is served and you order from the waiter; a bare table is self-service, you may bring your own food to it and you buy only the drinks. A Maß away from the Wiesn is around €10 to €12. Most gardens take cards now; the small kiosks still want cash.
Getting around. MVV zone M covers everything a visitor does: a single is €4.20 and a single-person day ticket starts at €10.10. The airport is in zone 5, so the city fare does not cover it; the Airport-City day ticket (€17.50) covers the ride in and the rest of the day. Paper tickets from a machine must be stamped before boarding; the MVGO app spares you that. The Deutschlandticket is €63 a month and renews until canceled, so it suits a week, not a weekend.
Sunday and holidays. Shops close by law on Sunday and public holidays: no supermarkets, nothing on Kaufingerstraße, only the duty pharmacy. Bakeries open for a few hours in the morning, restaurants and beer gardens run, and the shops inside the Hauptbahnhof and the airport trade as usual. Museums open, and the state collections (the three Pinakotheken, the Glyptothek) charge €1 on Sunday. The Residenz opens daily (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until late October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter, €10) and closes only on January 1, Shrove Tuesday and 24, December 25 and 31.
The Eisbach. Surfers ride the standing wave beside the Haus der Kunst all year; watch from the bridge on Prinzregentenstraße.
Tipping. Round up and say the total when the bill comes: a €15.90 Maß becomes €17, a €38 dinner becomes €40. Coins left on the table are not the custom.
On the day. At the Wiesn carry cash for the Maß and the tip, and expect a bag check at the gate; anything larger than a small daypack stays at the hotel. Be in line for a tent before 11 a.m. Monday to Thursday, and keep the Pinakotheken for Sunday, when they cost €1.