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Oktoberfest: who needs Munich when there's so much stein-sligning/sausage-munching/lederhosen-flaunting action right on London's doorstep? Follow the sounds of oompah music, or (probably easier) check out our guide here.
Pengefest (14 September)
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Bringing the village fete vibes to Oktoberfest, annual one-off Pengefest fills Penge's Empire Square with brass beats from the London Oompah Band and brews from Penge brewery Southey. 2024 also sees appearances from Alpaca Attack and Radio Penge, with more entertainers and traders TBC. This is one Oktoberfest you can bring the kids to — plus money raised goes towards St Christopher's Hospice.
Oktoberfest @ Delauney Counter (19 September-6 October)
A distinctively laid-back Oktoberfest is on the cards at the Alpine/grand cafe-vibed Delaunay Counter on Aldwych. The Oktoberfest menu here features mugs of Stiegl (OK it's from Salzburg but it's very good), hot dogs, pretzels, sausage platters — and even gingerbread decorated like beer steins. A Bavarian band will be playing live on and off too, although this isn't the kind of establishment where you get up on the tables...
Oktoberfest @ Munich Cricket Club (19 September-31 October)
The three cavernous drinking halls of Munich Cricket Club (in Victoria, Canary Wharf and Tower Hill) each host three massive Oktoberfest weekenders, where £15 gets you entry plus a sausage sharing board. Live oompah, Bavarian games, photo booths and singing and dancing galore are promised. For larger/thirstier groups, kegs of Lowenbrau and Paulaner are available.
Brick Lane Oktoberfest (Fridays and Saturdays, 20 September-12 October)
Cabaret queen Eva Von Schnippish and drag royalty Envy host Brick Lane Oktoberfest — a series of events at Juju's Bar & Stage on Brick Lane, featuring music from The Bavarian Strollers and their special brand of singalong 'Oompop', and Bavarian inspired fest-food from BBQ specialists Cue Point. Each sesh commences with a beer tapping ceremony.
Oktoberfest @ German Gymnasium (20 September-31 October)
Given its teutonic title, it's only right that German Gymnasium gets stuck into the Oktoberfest action. Spruced up with Bavarian decorations, the King's Cross restaurant (which really did used to be a gym used by Germans) is pouring ABK Beer, and serving an 'Oktoberfest Spezialitäten' menu from 20 Sept-31 Oct, featuring the likes of hendl mit kartoffelsalat (half roast chicken with potato salad) and scwheinebraten (pork belly roll roast with beer sauce, cabbage and dumplings). On Friday evenings there's also a live oompah band. And if you show up wearing lederhosen/dirndl there's a free stein of beer with your name on it.
Oktoberfest @ Albert's Schloss (21 September-6 October)
New kid on the block Albert's Schloss (on Shaftesbury Avenue) has banging bier hall vibes year-round tbf, but for a couple of weeks, they're ratcheting it up a notch with the likes of wiener eating competitions, keg tapping, brass bands and 'best lederhosen' competitions. This is also one of the few places you can drink all of the 'Munich Big Six' Oktoberfest beers (Hofbräuhaus, Löwenbräu, Augustinerbräu, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr and Spaten-Franziskaner) although we wouldn't recommend trying the whole lot in one go, especially if you're on the steins. No tickets or door charges, just book a table or show up.
Oktoberfest @ Bermondsey Bierkeller (21 September-31 October)
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (and Saturday daytimes if you like beer for brunch) at this Bavarian-themed bier hall by London Bridge, you can sink a Paulaner or drei, to the sounds of live oompah from the Bavarian Strollers, plus DJs. There's currywurst, schnitzels and German doner kebab for soakage, while entertainment includes fire eaters, jugglers and dancers. Oh ja.
Oktoberfest @ Between the Bridges (27 and 28 September, 4 and 5 October, 11 and 12 October)
Between the Bridges — an encampment of food, drink and entertainment on the South Bank — hosts a trio of Oktoberfest weekends at its makeshift bier hall, with drag queen Miss LeighDing-Hosen hosting raucous blowouts featuring Bavarian-style street food, Guilty Pleasures DJs and drum and brass 10-piece, Old Dirty Brasstards.
Camden Oktoberfest (28 September and 5, 12, 19 and 26 October)
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. There will be, it goes without saying, lashing of oompah.
Oktoberfest Brixton (5 and 12 October)
The Electric Brixton does its best impression of a Bavarian bier hall on two Saturdays in October, with long tables, a brass band and lashings of beer. Tables are available to book for groups, otherwise it's £16 for a standing ticket.
Boxtoberfest (12 October @ Boxpark Croydon and 19 October @ Boxpark Wembley)
With Czech beer on tap and distinctively British entertainment (yup, Barrioke) on stage, it's fair to say Boxtoberfest isn't the most traditional way to celebrate. Then again, the Amazing Bavarian Beer Stompers are in the house, plus there's bratwurst galore. If you like it loud, boisterous and very singalongy, this one's for you.
London Oktoberfest (17-19 and 25-26 October)
London Oktoberfest is essentially two separate parties, on weekends between the end of September and the start of November. London Oktoberfest's giant tents will pitch up on St Paul's Green, Hammersmith (17-19 Oct) and Walpole Park, Ealing (25-26 Oct). At both, thousands of revellers will chug a few frosty ones, scoff schnitzel and stomp their feet to brassy Bavarian music. You can order your lederhosen/dirndl from their website.
London Bierfest (17 October)
Thousands of revellers enjoy the live music and unlimited steins of ABK Beer at one-dayer, London Bierfest, held in Old Billingsgate (choose from an afternoon or evening sesh). The food is hearty Bavarian fare and the entertainment goes all out with fire dancers, aerial acrobats and the likes (naturally, there's oompah too). With tables from £174 per person (inc VAT), this one's geared more towards the hospitality market. Be really nice to your boss for the next few weeks.
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 bier hall-style blowout, boasting a menu sourced fresh from Bavaria every week by German chefs. Every Thurs-Sat, the place practically shakes with the sounds of brass bands. In 2024, they're doing their own Oktoberfests on 19 and 26 Sept, and 3 Oct.
German Kraft is a London-based brewery producing German-style 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, and that's no bad thing.
Stein's is a trio of German restaurants/bier gardens (Kingston, Richmond, Kensington), where you can get stuck into authentic Bavarian fare year-round.
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.
