Oktoberfest Reservation: Court Bans Expensive Resale - Munich court cracks down on Oktoberfest table resale price gouging

A Munich court has stopped an event agency from reselling Oktoberfest table reservations at inflated prices. The ruling came after the agency charged a test buyer €1,729 for six seats in the Ochsenbraterei tent. Officials and tent hosts have welcomed the decision as a step to curb overpricing ahead of this year's festival.

The event, running from September 19 to October 4, continues to face high demand, with some listings still demanding nearly €10,000 for multiple tables despite the court's intervention.

The Ochsenbraterei tent, operated by the Haberl family, has long fought against online resellers exploiting its reservation system. Their general terms explicitly ban reselling tables for profit or at excessive prices. This latest case saw the court side with the tent's operators, reinforcing their stance against unauthorised markups.

In recent years, table prices across major tents have climbed steadily. Hacker-Pschorr, Schottenhamel, and Löwenbräu have seen increases of 10–20% since 2022, with costs rising from around €100–€140 to €120–€170 per table by 2025. The Ochsenbraterei, however, has kept its rises more modest, with prices growing by 8–12%—from €105 in 2022 to about €125 this year. Officials attribute the hikes to inflation and soaring demand in Munich.

Despite the ruling, some online portals continue to advertise tables at many times their official price. The city runs an approved platform where unused reservations can be exchanged or sold at their original cost, offering a legal alternative to inflated resale markets.

Christian Scharpf, Munich's Oktoberfest chief and economic affairs counsellor, praised the court's decision. He reaffirmed the city's support for tent hosts tackling unfair resale practices, ensuring fairer access for festivalgoers.

The court's decision reinforces the Ochsenbraterei's policy against overpriced resales. Yet, with tables still appearing on unofficial sites at high markups, enforcement remains a challenge. The festival's official exchange portal stays available for those seeking legitimate reservations at fair prices.