Oktoberfest with a group: meeting points and tips for the Wiesn

If you go to Oktoberfest with a group, you know the scene: crowded paths between the big tents and the rides, loud music and people who all want to go in different directions. The City of Munich itself advises against meeting at the Bavaria statue, the Ferris wheel or the main entrance. Here you’ll find which meeting point works better on the Wiesn, as locals call the festival grounds, how to keep an eye on children and what helps at other big funfairs.

When is Oktoberfest 2027?

According to the official Oktoberfest website of the City of Munich, the 192nd Oktoberfest takes place from Saturday 18 September to Sunday 3 October 2027 on the Theresienwiese. The site also lists family days on 21 and 28 September 2027. Check the official Oktoberfest website again shortly before your visit.

Why is it so easy to lose each other at Oktoberfest?

Between the big tents, rides and stalls, the crowds build up. If someone pops over to a stall, they’re out of sight within seconds. Evenings and weekends are the busiest. And when a tent is full, not everyone in your group may get in.

On top of that, when lots of people wear traditional dress, groups start to look alike. A green checked shirt won’t help much when you’re searching.

Where is the best meeting point at Oktoberfest?

In its tips for visiting the Wiesn with children (in German), the City of Munich calls the Bavaria statue, the Ferris wheel and the main entrance completely unsuitable meeting points, because there is always chaotic crowding there. A suitable spot, according to the city, is the entrance to the festival management (Festleitung) in the service centre, directly behind the Schottenhamel tent. The city also recommends walking to the meeting point together at the start, so everyone remembers it.

Oktoberfest with a group: 8 tips

1. Meet before the grounds, not at the entrance. The main entrance is the busiest spot. Meet somewhere quieter beforehand and go in together.
2. Walk to the meeting point first. Go to your agreed meeting point together as the very first thing. Anyone who has seen it once will find it again in the evening.
3. Agree on a time rule. For example: anyone who gets lost goes to the meeting point on the hour and waits 15 minutes. That works without signal too.
4. If you have a reservation, write down the tent and time. Whoever booked a table sends everyone the tent name, the entrance and the time by which everyone needs to be there.
5. Wear one shared detail. When lots of people wear traditional dress, a detail only your group has will help: a neckerchief in the same bright colour or a striking hatband.
6. Go in pairs. Anyone heading to a ride, the toilets or a stall doesn’t go alone and says when they’ll be back.
7. Plan your battery. A long day with photos uses a lot of power. Bring a charged power bank and turn on Low Power Mode early.
8. Sort out the way home in advance. In the evening the stations around the grounds are very busy. Agree who travels with whom and where you’ll gather for it.

Oktoberfest with children: what does the City of Munich advise?

In its tips for visiting the Wiesn with children, the City of Munich lists several things that have proved their worth:

• Come at the right time. The city’s youth welfare office recommends midday and early afternoon for children and advises against weekends.
• Give children a note. Children get a note with phone numbers on which parents or relatives can be reliably reached.
• Keep your phone switched on. That’s the only way someone who has found your child can call you.
• Walk to the meeting point together. Show your child at the start where you’ll meet.

A bright hat and a photo of your child in the morning help as well. If you get separated, speak to stallholders, tent staff, stewards or the police. In an emergency, call 110 for the police or 112 for an ambulance.

What helps at other big funfairs?

At other big funfairs and folk festivals, such as the Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart or the Hamburger Dom, and at large fairs back home, the same rules apply:

• A meeting point at a spot that exists only once, not at the best-known ride.
• Walk to the meeting point together at the start.
• With children, go on a weekday afternoon, when it’s quieter.
• Whoever waits stays put. Only one person searches.

What can you do when the network struggles at Oktoberfest?

When a huge number of people use their phones in a small area, messages arrive late. In a full tent you’ll also barely hear your phone. Send short texts, turn on vibration, check the time on a shared location and go to the meeting point at the agreed time.

Which app helps you find your group at Oktoberfest?

You can share your live location with WhatsApp, Apple or Google. How that works is in the guide find friends at a festival. A group app like Crewbeam shows you with an arrow which way your people are and how far away. You set meeting points with a time, and the app reminds you in good time. Outdoors the position is most accurate, inside the tents less so.

For children without a phone, the note with your number stays the most important thing. Crewbeam is free, has no ads and is coming soon to the App Store, for iPhone first.

Frequently asked questions

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