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Sadly, the official Oktoberfest in Munich is cancelled this year due to the pandemic, but fret not, you can don your best dirndl and leap into your lederhosen right here in London. Prepare for traditional horn-blaring, stein-sloshing and Bratwurst-feasting events at pop-ups, beer halls and German venues all around the city. Ist gut ja?
Wunderbar!
Pergola Paddington will be transformed into a beautiful beer hall, reminiscent of those in Munich, festooned with garlands and streamers, bursting with flower-laden barrels and filled with happy people. Its Oktoberfest celebration, Wunderbar!, will run for six weeks and serve up special cocktails, German beers, Bavarian food and a hearty helping of Gemütlichkeit (cosiness). Soundtracking the eating and drinking will be live oompah brass bands and DJs playing the biggest party classics for a banging Bavarian knees-up.
Pergola Paddington, 5 Kingdom St, W2 6PY. Sep 18-Oct 31. From free-£20 depending on the day of the week. Tickets here.
London Craft Oktoberfest
This one’s for the craft hopheads out there. Some of the best local breweries will be pouring exclusive German-style craft beer at German Kraft’s brewery at Mercato Metropolitano for one weekend only. Breweries Anspach and Hobday, Lost and Grounded, Purity, Mondo and more will be pouring in the 1,200-square-metre brew garden. All beers will be available in the traditional one-litre German stein glass, alongside the usual pints and half pints. And you can tuck into German sausages, pretzels and sharing platters. A live oompah band and German Schlager playlist will provide the music.
Mercato Metropolitano, 42 Newington Causeway, SE1 6DR. Oct 8-9. Free entry, but book tickets here.
Oktoberfest by the Riverside
Grab your pals and head down to the river for a stein-fuelled evening with a view at Between the Bridges. Spread out at the gigantic 4,000-square-foot drinking space, belt out top tunes with a live band at at Massaoke, groove to Old Dirty Brasstards and dance the dance to music brought to you by Guilty Pleasures DJs. If you’re feeling hungry after all that activity there’ll be plenty of street food with a Teutonic twist on offer and, of course, an abundance of beer.
Between the Bridges, Queen’s Walk, SE1. Oct 1-2 and 8-9. £20, includes a two-pint stein. Tickets here.
Oktoberfest
Be one of the first to see Greenwich Peninsula’s new street-food hub Design District Canteen. It’ll be throwing its inaugural Oktoberfest and it’s going to be brimming full of beer, bratwurst and Bavarian bands aplenty. Sip German beer on tap from the Canteen Bar, listen to German music playing all night long over the different weekends and come hungry for the German spread like no other. Tuck into food from Toasted, by The Great British Charcuterie Sandwich & Cheese Bar, who source from local independent farmers. Putting on a selection of cured meats, Oktoberfest raclette special and traditional German bratwurst with a selection of homemade condiments, curried sauces and special toppings by to soak up all the booze.
Design District, 7 Soames Walk, SE10 0AX. Oct 1-10. Free entry.
Brick Lane Bier Fest
Get ready for a Bavarian bonanza like no other at Brick Lane Tap Room. Taking place across both the taproom and the warehouse behind it, Brick Lane Bier Fest has a banging line-up of beer, food, cabaret, live music and DJs ready on the decks to transform it into the most vibe-filled German party this side of Bavaria. It’s set in a cavernous beer hall just off Brick Lane over Halloween weekend, where you can sip on premium-quality Munich lager and late-night cocktail tipples. Worried about not being able to bag a last-minute table? Don’t be, because this place is huge.
Brick Lane Tap Room, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL. Oct 29-31. Fom £15, includes a pint. Tickets here.
Thirsty for more? Check out London’s best craft beer bars and pubs.
Non-beer drinkers can chug down the city’s best cocktails instead.