Oktoberfest Seoul 2026 Review: A Midweek Visit After the Chaos?

The Soccer-Loving Traveler

⚽It's Chukjiyun :)

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:: Festival ::

🍺 My Oktoberfest Seoul Visit Review 🍺​

📑 Contents
01	Ticket Collection
02	Beer Garden
03	Draft Beer Review
04	Big Tent
05	Oktoberfest Seoul Overall Review

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I actually won a ticket to the

Oktoberfest Seoul Standard Zone (general seating)

through an Instagram event, so off I went!

Going to Oktoberfest in Munich is totally on my bucket list,

so even if I hadn't won this ticket,

I probably would've just bought one and gone anyway!

Oktoberfest Seoul,

which, let's just say, generated a *lot* of chatter even before it officially opened its doors...

After what was described as a 'hellish' weekend,

I was curious: did things finally calm down a week later,

on a regular Thursday evening?

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01 Ticket Collection

I actually went during the second session on a weekday,

and since I got there around 6 PM,

the ticket exchange booth was

surprisingly quiet!

Since I had an invitation,

I just handed over my ticket. But if you've already made a reservation

in advance through NOL (Nol), just have that ready,

and they'll quickly swap it for your entry wristband!

I heard that both Standard and Premium tickets were supposed to come with

a coin exchangeable for one beer,

but maybe because ours were invitation tickets (?),

we received coupons instead.

While outside food isn't allowed inside the Oktoberfest Seoul event area,

I noticed the convenience store right by the entrance

was selling samgyeopsal (pork belly), chicken skewers, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), and more!

And in the outdoor Beer Garden plaza,

there weren't really any restrictions,

so it looks like you could totally grab something from the store and enjoy it out there!

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02 Beer Garden

Right at the main entrance, an FC Bayern Munich

booth was set up.

They weren't really selling anything,

but it was cool to see uniforms and trophies on display,

plus an LED screen playing videos.

I totally fell in love with Paulaner after visiting the stadium in Munich a while back ♥

Love Munich, love Paulaner 🍻

The Beer Garden was actually smaller than I expected;

the Big Tent was even bigger...!

My friends who came with me didn't have separate Oktoberfest Seoul

entrance tickets, so we decided to hang out and enjoy the outdoor plaza.

There were standing tables and tables with parasols,

I'd guess about 30 of them...? 😶

Right across from there, they had public restrooms,

because let's be honest, restrooms are non-negotiable

when you're enjoying beer... haha.

Surprisingly, it wasn't super crowded except right after a performance ended,

so I could pop in and out without much hassle 👍

We brought a mat and found a spot on the grassy hill next to us,

starting, of course, with Paulaner

Oktoberfest Beer (10.0)!

I wasn't quite sure where to pick up prizes,

and honestly, I thought it would've been way better if the cashier

and beer collection spots were marked more clearly... haha.

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03 Draft Beer Review

I got my beer around 6:30 PM,

and wow, they even served the people behind us before

Paulaner Oktoberfest Beer (Lager)

Sold out 🙄🙄🙄

I heard that if it sells out for the day,

there won't be any more restocked afterwards,

so it ended up being a one-time thing...😇

But still, Paulaner is a wheat beer, after all! 💛

The four of us gathered like this, Prost!

There's a big screen installed even outdoors,

so you can see what performance is happening inside,

and the music is really loud and clear,

so it's still possible to get into the mood haha.

Drinking outdoors like this after a long time,

it feels like that Han River picnic vibe?

It has an outdoor pub feel, so the atmosphere is nice, but

However, if you only use the beer garden,

does it really feel like you've come to Oktoberfest?

Absolutely not ❌

We decided to order something simple to eat, so

we came to the food booth.

I'd heard so many times that you really shouldn't

have high expectations for the food at Oktoberfest Seoul...

lol.

So, I went in with zero expectations, just to give it a taste!

Hehehe.

You can order food at the kiosk,

and once you get a waiting number and go to the booth on the right,

you can usually get your order almost immediately.

The kitchen is so spacious...

Even food trucks cook right away,

so it tastes good, but it's not like that here.

Was it perhaps to ensure quick turnover (?)

that they decided to prepare and keep everything warm?

(I also work in events,

so consider this a warning that I'm quite critical of these things.)

But if that was the plan, it seems like a big failure..😖

We ordered one pretzel (~$5) and

and the "relatively tasty"

German Sausage Platter (~$28).

Why did we get bread instead of a heart-shaped pretzel,

sob sob sob sob sob.

And who said the sausages were good? 😭

Everyone must have been so surprised by the Schweinshaxe and Schnitzel

that they found these "relatively tasty"...

Sausages worth ~$7 per line.

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04 The Big Tent

Still, for those who say Oktoberfest Seoul is fun!

They all seem to be people

who enjoyed themselves in the Big Tent.

Since we had wristbands for Big Tent access,

after hanging out with friends,

we went inside the Big Tent too!

Free beer coupons are for the Big Tent!

There were definitely more people inside than outside.

Still, we managed to grab our beer in just 10 minutes!

​

First, there were vocalists >

traditional German Oktoberfest band >

then a DJ, in that order, performing.

The highlight was definitely the German band,

but the vocal performances of Korean songs and the DJ set

were also quite good at setting the festival mood!

If you're definitely going to Oktoberfest Seoul,

instead of saving ~$15 (or ~$7 if you include beer)

by just staying in the beer garden,

I highly recommend enjoying the Big Tent!

Oh, but... when you think of Munich, of course,

the 1-liter draft beer mug is what comes to mind...

At first, I heard this wasn't available at Oktoberfest (Seoul),

and thought, "What kind of Oktoberfest is this?!🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️"

But then I found out if you buy a premium ticket, it is available!

I want one so bad....

Throw the coupon~ Hahaha

So cool

Most people seemed to judge age by appearance,

so they weren't very strict about checking IDs.

Finally, my favorite, Paulaner Weissbier!❤

Personally, even more than the Oktoberfest-exclusive beer

that's only sold at the festival, Paulaner's Weissbier is still the best!👍

The cup on the right looks like glass,

but it's plastic, so it's handled quite casually (?)

The cup on the left is a real glass mug,

and you can only drink from it inside the big tent;

you weren't allowed to take it out to the beer garden.

The stage area was a complete party zone,

but on both sides, people were still sitting at tables

and enjoying the performance.

Now, it finally feels a bit more like a festival!❕

At first, when they said it would be set up with plastic tables and chairs,

even that felt a bit like a night market,

but I'll overlook this level for now...

Inside, just like outside,

there were separate food stalls,

As you can see from the floor map,

more diverse beer brands

were individually located,

so you could order the beer you wanted.

I wanted to try Kölsch after a long time,

but decided to just go somewhere else..^^

The only domestic craft beer, OBC (Original Beer Company),

I really wanted to try, but unfortunately, I couldn't...

If I get the chance next time,

I definitely want to try it!

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05 Oktoberfest Seoul: Final Thoughts

To be really, truly honest,

if I hadn't had high expectations for Oktoberfest Seoul,

it might have been about a ★3-star festival,

but as someone who had high expectations,

I'd rate the overall quality at about ★2 stars.

The beer, food, event operation, marketing, etc., all felt a bit

lacking, or perhaps unpolished.

The Oktoberfest Seoul merchandise could have been more diverse,

and if they had made something truly desirable for visitors,

people would have bought more.

Even if they had just sold the Paulaner glass mugs..!!

They would have made a fortune...

Oktoberfest Seoul mascot keyrings (??)

They must have spent a good amount of money developing these, what a waste...

If they were going to sell Bayern Munich T-shirts,

they should have sold the actual jerseys instead ㅠ

The only thing I picked up was just a cute cookie (~$7)..^^

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If Oktoberfest Seoul happens again next year,

I wouldn't exactly recommend it......? But it's not a complete no-go;

after seeing reviews from the first weekend,

I would definitely think three more times before going ☺

My bucket list item of going to Oktoberfest in Munich is still there!