How Is It Operated? — "Behind the Scenes of Oktoberfest," Dissecting the Mechanisms of Organizers, Vendors, and the Vast Venue
I've thought this many times while at the venue:
"How on earth do they manage all this?"
Working in the food and beverage industry, I can't help but look at things that way. What about sourcing? Staff shifts? Preparation timing? — But for Oktoberfest, the scale of those questions is on a completely different level from what we at Schmatz deal with (laughs).
This time, we delved into the "behind-the-scenes" of Oktoberfest, even interviewing someone who previously worked at the Munich event.
"How is it operated?" — A simple question that arose at the venue
◯ The scale of a "temporary city" that welcomes 6.5 million people
The Oktoberfest venue spans 42 hectares (approximately 420,000 square meters). Since the Tokyo Dome's ground area is about 4.6 hectares, a simple calculation shows it's roughly nine times larger.
"Hmm, okay," you might say, and casually dismiss it. We did too, at first. But when you're actually there, walking from one end to the other seems endless. This vast area is packed with over 14 large beer tents and more than 200 attractions. Electricity, water, and gas are supplied, full-fledged kitchens are operating, and even ATMs are available.
"It's a city," I simply thought.
◯ The behind-the-scenes insights that only those in the food and beverage industry notice
Even for a single Schmatz restaurant, sourcing, preparation, and staff management require a considerable amount of effort. But Oktoberfest is a festival that welcomes 6.5 million people over 16 days. Being curious about it might just be an occupational hazard (laughs).
The scale is vastly different, but the question remains the same: Who, and how, is all of this operated?
The right to operate a tent is passed down as a "family business"
◯ The concession battle decided by a 13-item scoring sheet
Tent vendors are businesses granted the right to operate by the City of Munich. Anyone can apply, but the reality is quite tough.
The City of Munich evaluates applicants based on 13 scoring criteria. Each item is scored from 0 to 11 points, and the allocation is determined by a total score calculated with coefficients. The feasibility of the business plan, concept, and efforts in hygiene and safety are evaluated, but the review takes place in a confidential city council meeting, making it mostly opaque to outsiders.
◯ Five Generations, 160 Years — The Legend of the Schottenhamel Family
This system incorporates a mechanism that benefits those who continue to participate for a long time. Vendors who continuously operate receive one bonus point for every five times they participate, and food and beverage businesses that have been continuous for over 40 years are even awarded "tradition points."
In other words, the more bonus points accumulate, the harder it becomes for newcomers to overturn the status quo.
The Schottenhamel family epitomizes this. They have continuously operated a tent for five generations since 1867. The "tapping ceremony" that marks the opening of Oktoberfest — where the Mayor of Munich hammers the first beer keg — is held annually at this family's tent.
Inheritance rights are not guaranteed by law. But with 160 years' worth of bonus points accumulated, it's realistically difficult for a new entrant to compete and win. The reality of it being "passed down as a family business" is a direct result of the system itself.
◯ The Future of a Changing System
However, in 2026, someone directly challenged this system. A vendor filed a complaint with an administrative review body, alleging that "the current allocation method violates EU public tender obligations." The complaint was rejected, but an appeal to the Bavarian Higher Regional Court and the European Court of Justice has been announced.
This means that a system that has remained unchanged for over 160 years is now being questioned.
"Another Festival" Begins 82 Days Before Opening
◯ A temporary city transported by over 1,000 trucks
Oktoberfest opens in September. But preparations for the venue begin 82 days before that.
For 2025, the setup of the large tent "Festzelt" started at 7 AM on June 30th. Large attractions begin from August 27th, bumper cars and haunted houses from September 3rd, and all remaining stalls from September 8th — construction progresses in phases for each category.
The sheer volume of materials is, again, beyond imagination. For each large tent, 70 to 100 trucks are needed just from the material warehouse. For all large tents combined, over 1,000 truck shipments take place. Power cables, water pipes, tent covers, tables, and benches — a city's worth of "parts" are transported to 42 hectares.
◯ The full scope of the venue assembled in stages
The setup, which began at the end of June, approaches completion after approximately 12 weeks. Cranes lift steel frames, craftsmen finish the interiors, and lights are installed.
Knowing this process makes it feel like Oktoberfest is already in motion long before the festival actually begins. The number of people supporting the event—from the craftsmen responsible for setup and dismantling to the kitchen staff and security guards—is enormous. We plan to cover the stories of those who actually work inside the tents in detail in the next article.
Overwhelmed by Numbers: The World of 6.5 Million People and 6.5 Million Liters
Approximately 6.5 million people visited Oktoberfest in 2025 (6.7 million in the previous year, 2024). Around 6.5 million liters of beer were consumed (7 million liters in the previous year). While the number was lower than the previous year due to a temporary closure caused by a bomb threat, it's still an immense scale.
That's 6.5 million "Maß" (one-liter steins). This translates to almost one stein per visitor. Of course, many local regulars visit multiple times, so a direct comparison isn't simple (laughs), but it conveys the scale of the numbers.
The economic impact on the City of Munich, combining accommodation, transportation, and food and beverage, is said to be substantial. Given that visitors come from over 150 countries worldwide, that certainly makes sense.
Dismantling work continues for 6 weeks after closing
After the 16-day festival ends, dismantling begins. This also has removal deadlines set by category: mast installers must complete by October 7th immediately after closing, attractions by October 17th, and beer tents must be completely removed by November 21st.
From setup to dismantling, Theresienwiese is a construction site for over five months. If you think "the festival ends in two weeks," this might come as a bit of a surprise.
Experiencing the authentic changes how you view a glass of beer
Perhaps the most impressive thing I experienced locally was this "immense scale."
A family business spanning 160 years, setup starting 82 days prior, over 1,000 truckloads of transport. It's only through such accumulated effort that one glass of beer in that tent comes into being.
If you're interested in the background of German beer, please also check out What is German Beer? Understanding the authentic culture changes how you perceive a glass of beer.
Schmatz's online shop offers a selection of beers that cherish the authentic German brewing culture. Please take a look.
At our restaurants, you can enjoy authentic German beer and cuisine. Our staff can also guide you in choosing beers, so please feel free to ask.
