Oktoberfest is one of the most famous festivals in the world. Having recently attended for the first time, I can say that this festival is definitely one worth attending. But if you're interested in attending, there are several things you should know.
Plan Ahead
Oktoberfest takes place in Germany, a country of planners. So, reservations for tables for the fest are usually sold out at least nine months before it takes places each year. It's still possible to attend and find places to sit in the beer tents without a reservation. However, accommodations also sell out quickly. This includes hostel accommodations who frequently release all of their beds/rooms for the fest on a designated day several months before the fest. This means that if you haven't planned ahead, it's likely that you'll be without a place to stay or you'll pay through the nose for it. Don't be that person! Oktoberfest is expensive enough without all of that.
Sign at the entrance to the festival with the Marstall tent in the background.
My tip: if you've decided you want to attend Oktoberfest, start planning about a year ahead of time. If you're lucky, you might be able to snag reservations at one of the beer tents if you start this far ahead. At the very least, you can figure out what part of the festival you'd like to attend, how many days you'd like to be there (there is tons to see in Munich outside of the fest), and determine where you'd like to stay. Once you've figured out a few of your potential hotels or hostels, you should contact them to find out when they release their rooms for that period. Once you get that information, PUT IT IN YOUR CALENDAR (with multiple alarms to remind yourself). This way you can be one of the first people to jump online and nab your reservation. From there, you just need to worry about your flight, which is easy in comparison. Congratulations, you're well on your way to the festival!
Get There Early
Every day the tents have reservations for at least half of their tables. However, these reservations don't usually start until 3:30 - 5:00 pm. Arrive several hours before that and you'll be able to sit inside a tent and enjoy the live music and tent atmosphere until you're forced to vacate for the reservations. Get really lucky and maybe you'll nab a table that isn't reserved later, leaving you to enjoy the tent for the rest of the day. If you aren't able to get there early (sleeping off a hangover, friend?), fret not. If someone fails to show up for a reserved table, the waitress may fill it with others waiting. In addition, there are always tables that are not reserved (roughly 50% on the weekends, much less on the weekdays) where you might still find a seat inside a tent. Finally, each tent has large beer gardens where it's usually easy to find a seat. You won't be able to enjoy the live music from outside, but you can always enjoy a drink while you wait out a seat inside.
Full moon provides the background for Oktoberfest revelry in the beer garden at the Augustiner tent.
Pace Yourself
The beer served at the festival is probably not the beer you're used to drinking. The ABV is higher than most mainstream beers in the United States. So, if you start drinking it like it is, you won't last very long. I met a group of Australians who only had one day at the festival. They were so excited (and thirsty, evidently) that they immediately started chugging liters of beer upon their arrival. The end result? Yes, they attended Oktoberfest, but they have ZERO recollection of it. You may also see drunken people getting kicked out of tents or wheeled out on gurneys. You don't need a large medical bill on top of everything. Don't be that person! Start at a slower pace than you're used to and stick with it. Then you'll have lots of new friends and wonderful memories of the fest to take home with you.
In typical Oktoberfest fashion, folks standing on their seats and singing along with the band.
Make Friends
Making new friends is one of the best parts of Oktoberfest. You're surrounded by strangers in tight quarters so meeting them is easy. All you need to do is hold your beer up to toast them and, next thing you know, you'll be talking. These new friends can have a truly positive impact on your Oktoberfest experience. For example, I met a lovely older couple who were from Munich one day at the festival. When I bumped into them in another crowded tent later that evening, they went out of their way to make sure they found space for me to sit with them. The tent was extremely crowded and I am convinced that, but for their efforts, I would have had to sit outside in the beer garden. So, get out there and be social! You never know what positive outcome might come of it and, at the very least, you'll leave with new friends.
Beer tents like this one (the Augustiner tent) can hold in excess of 6,000 people.
Additional Tips
ORDERING
You can't order a beer in a tent unless you're seated at a table. So, don't bother trying.
PAYING & TIPPING
You can only pay in cash. So, make sure you've got plenty on hand when you arrive. A beer costs about 11 Euro. You'll need to pay as soon as your beer or food is delivered. Be aware of how much you want to pay (including tip) and tell the waiter/waitress this amount when you hand him/her your money. If you don't do this, they'll just give you exact change without taking a tip. Don't leave your tip on the table. They don't accept tips like this. It's customary to either just round up to the next full Euro or tip about 10% (depending on your total).
DRINKING
Each tent usually only serves one brand of beer. So, make sure you like the beer in a tent before you decide to spend your time trying to find a seat inside. Augustiner is the local favorite. Hofbrau is where you can find most tourists.
Don't take the last bit of your beer and pour it into your new beer. Germans think this is vile and they will say that you've ruined your new beer. I made this mistake so you didn't have to. You're cooler than that!
Waitress in a tent carrying beer and blowing on her whistle to get folks to move out of her way.
TOASTING
Always look the person you're toasting in the eye when you hit your glasses together.
DRESS
Most of the people in the tents will be wearing traditional trachten. However, there are a fair number of people in plain clothes as well (both locals and tourists). You can buy lederhosen or a dirndl if you want to be part of the fun, but you should be aware that these aren't cheap. You can find really cheap versions at the main train station, but these look really bad and you'll stick out like a sore thumb. Visit second-hand or smaller stores for the best deal on the traditional garb, but be aware you'll probably spend at least 100 Euro if you want something that looks halfway decent.
SAFETY
The festival is full of security guards and police. So, it's one of the safest places you can be. I thought all of the beer would mean lots of fights. But everyone (with the exception of a very few tourists) are super happy and friendly. It's easy to catch the train to and from the festival and Munich is generally an extremely safe place. I attended the festival alone some days and never felt like I was anywhere close to being in danger. Might an unknown person grab your butt? Sure. Will a drunken stranger try to kiss you? Probably. But keep your wits about you (see "Pace Yourself" above) and you'll be fine!
One Oktoberfest attendee having fun with one of the absolutely massive security guards at a tent.
AFTER PARTIES
Many people don't realize that the festival closes at 10:30pm. If you've heeded my warning about pacing yourself, then you may still be standing. And, if that's true, there are some places nearby where many folks head to continue the party. An Irish bar called Kennedy's isn't far, but you can take a pedicab if you'd rather not walk. Just around the corner from there is a nightclub called Milchundbar. If you've never seen a nightclub full of young people in trachten dancing to modern music, it's a pretty entertaining sight to behold.
SEE IT ALL
The festival is not just about the beer tents, although those are a large part of it. The rest of the festival grounds contains food vendors, games, rides, shops, etc. So, take the time to wander around and see it all. There is a toboggan ride that you SHOULD NOT miss. The ride requires people to take a fast-paced people mover up to the top and, well, people aren't very good at riding it. So, it's notorious for having people fall on it (don't worry, they don't get hurt). As a result, a large crowd gathers at the front of the ride to watch the melee ensue. It's great for a laugh.
PROST! HAVE A BLAST!