Oktoberfest: who needs Munich when there’s so much lager/sausage/lederhosen action right on our doorstep? Follow the sounds of oompah music, or (probably easier) check out our guide here.
Pengefest (16 Sept)
Bringing the village fete vibes to Oktoberfest, one-day-only Pengefest fills Penge’s Empire Square with brass beats from the London Oompah Band, and brews from Penge brewery Southey. In 2022, there was also toy dog racing and a game of ‘Guess the German wine’ — and we hope for more of the same hijinks in 2023. This is one Oktoberfest you can bring the kids to, and money goes towards St Christopher’s Hospice, too.
Oktoberfest @ Bermondsey Bierkeller (16 Sept-28 Oct)
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at this Bavarian-themed beer hall by London Bridge, you can sink a Paulaner or drei, to the sounds of live oompah, plus DJs. There’s currywurst, schnitzels and German doner kebab for soakage, while entertainment includes shuffle board, interactive darts, pool, foosball, ping pong and drinking games. Oh ja.
Oktoberfest @ Munich Cricket Club (16 Sept-31 Oct)
“Music, steins, games, fun and dancing on the tables” are promised at Munich Cricket Club, which is in fact three cavernous drinking halls across London (Victoria, Canary Wharf and Tower Hill). For big groups, kegs of beer between 5 and 50 litres are available. Catch the madness on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays for the month-and-a-half stint.
London Oktoberfest (21-23 Sept, 19-21 Oct, 26-28 Oct and 2-4 Nov)
This one’s essentially four separate Oktoberfest parties, on weekends between the end of September and the start of November. London Oktoberfest‘s giant tents will pitch up in Normand Park, Hammersmith (21-23 Sept); Walpole Park, Ealing (19-21 Oct); then spend two weekends in Finsbury Square in the City (26-28 Oct, a Halloween special), and 2-4 Nov. We’re told 30,000 revellers descend on these beery blowouts each year, to chug a few cold ones, scoff schnitzel and stomp their feet to brassy Bavarian music. Plenty of chances to take get involved, anyway!
Oktoberfest @ Between the Bridges (22, 23, 29 and 30 Sept)
Between the Bridges — an encampment of food, drink and entertainment on the South Bank — hosts four days of Oktoberfest events this year, featuring Massaoke (think karaoke but MASSIVE) on 23 and 30 Sept, and the legendary Old Dirty Brasstards on 22 and 29 Sept. There’s also teutonic street food, and the ticket price includes a free beer stein (we’d hope with some beer in it).
Oktoberfest and Big Bad Bavarian Brunch @ Bar Elba (30 Sept and 6-7 Oct)
Is 11am too early to start on the steins? Nein, not according to Waterloo’s Bar Elba, it’s not. This rooftop bar is hosting two Big Bad Bavarian Brunches (30 Sept, 7 Oct) where they’re inviting you to get ‘totally schlossed’ with 90 mins of steins on tap (seriously though: drink responsibly). Morning cornflakes make way for bockwurst and kartoffel salad, while entertainment includes a pretzel toss, Bavarian bingo and a sausage-off (daren’t ask). There are also three Oktoberfest events (30 Sept, 6 and 7 Oct), for those who don’t fancy hitting the suds until a little later on in the day.
Camden Oktoberfest (30 Sept and 7, 14, 21 Oct and 28 Oct)
Camden Oktoberfest is a veritable beano of Bavarian bacchanalia, lubricated with great quantities of Spaten and Löwenbräu — served up by folk in dirndl and lederhosen at a makeshift beerhall in Electric Ballroom. The beats in this case come from the eight-piece No Limit Street Band, who play pop, rock, hip hop, R&B, funk and soul, but make it brass.
London Bierfest (19 and 20 Oct)
Over 3,000 revellers enjoy the live music and unlimited steins of ABK Beer at two-dayer, London Bierfest — held in Old Billingsgate. The food is hearty Bavarian fare (think bratwurst & sauerkraut balls, beef frankfurters) and the entertainment takes things up a notch with fire dancers and aerial acrobats (don’t worry, there’s oompah too). With tables from £169 per person, this one’s geared more towards the hospitality market.
Oktoberfest pubs and bier halls in London
A few other places in London where it’s ALWAYS Oktoberfest…
Katzenjammers near London Bridge are no strangers to a bierhall-style blowout, boasting a menu that’s sourced fresh from Bavaria every week by German chefs. Every Thurs-Sat, the place practically shakes with the sounds of brass bands.
Bierschenke in Covent Garden is another full-time tribute to the hallowed drinking halls of Munich — dishing up icy serves of Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr alongside flammkuchen (basically German pizza), haxe (pork knuckle) and plenty of vegan options. In 2023 they’re doing their own Oktoberfest from 20 Sept-4 Nov (it’s free venue entry as usual), with the bunting up and live music rocking the house (although the latter is standard here every Saturday night anyway).
German Kraft is a London-based brewery which produces German-styles beers made to ancient purity laws (including helles, hefeweizen and keller lagers). They’re stationed in a number of venues across London: Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant and Castle, the stunning Mercato Mayfair, and bars in Dalston and Brixton. In fact you can hardly escape them.
Bullfinch Brewery in Herne Hill is by no means a beer hall, but this taproom beneath the arches has a teutonic bent, often festooned with Bundesflagges, and boasting a solid range of Franconian beers in the fridge. Perfect for a super lowkey Oktoberfest.
