The farewell to the summer holidays tastes better with a beer in the sun or just with a good excuse to eat, relax and enjoy time with your friends. The best occasion to do this is the Oktoberfest 2018. This is the German beer festival held originally in Munich and celebrated as well in other parts of the world.
To survive such an excitement, especially for those who can’t say are that young anymore, we have shortlisted the latest information about Oktoberfest 2018. And for your convenience, the best 5 apps to take the most of this event worldwide.
What is the origin of the Oktoberfest
If you want to know more about the History of Oktoberfest, it has a romantic origin. About 200 years ago the king of Bavaria, Ludwig I, married Theresa of Saxony and celebrated the wedding with all his subjects hosting a race of horses and offering food and beer in an open field. He named the placed after his beloved, Theresenwiese, which means ‘the prairie of Theresa’.
The great joy with which the people in the kingdom celebrated the event set a precedent that has been replicated every year for almost two centuries. With some exceptions by wars or epidemics. The date recently changed from October to September, due to the weather.
Oktoberfest 2018 is still held in the same enclave, a vast meadow surrounded by nature in the heart of Munich. And it gathers more than 7 Million people each year. What if it rains or it gets cold, you may wonder? Well, there is no better way to cope with it than with a beer in your hands… Or that is what organizers claim! Oktoberfest 2018 takes place from the 22th of September to the 7th of October this year.
In addition to the meat, the ribs, the German beer Hofbräu-Festhalle and the Bavarian music, the regional costumes bring colorfulness and a certain feel of folklore to the party. We actually feel like we are back in 1800. Sounds interesting, right? Whether in Munich or in another region of the world, check out the following apps for your trip to the Oktoberfest!
Find your friends at the Oktoberfest 2018
7 Million people is just about the population of Switzerland – the number expected to attend Oktoberfest in Munich in 2018. Amazing, right? To avoid getting lost and losing our friends in the huge crowd we suggest you download Wave. This is a free app for iOS and Android in which we can share our location with our friends on a map in real time and privately.
The best part is that, unlike other apps, we can see all of our friends on the same map. Feel free to explore and don’t be afraid to lose your friends, for you can check their location anytime!
When needed, the app tells you how to reach your friends. Look for them on the map, set a meeting point and it will give you directions to get there. As this is a social app, it comes with a chat to type, speak and share memories.
More than 11 Million people use Wave already, so it is likely that our crush at the Oktoberfest has it too so we can find him/her any time among the crowd.
The best thing about Wave Application is not just its convenience, but also its purpose: it is all about location. We can avoid typing in those long group chats, moving back and forth through plenty of messages and asking over and over again for others’ location.
Pick the best beer at the Oktoberfest 2018
Some of us are not experts in beer or prefer to drink only the famous Hofbräu-Festhalle Bavarian beer. However, if we want to make the most of our experience at the Oktoberfest 2018, we should be able to distinguish and taste different sorts of beers.
If an amateur in this field, just jump into Untappd, and app that presumes to have the best directory of beers in the world. The app enables you to look for different brands and discover the properties and flavors of each type. It also tell you its origin, color and the popularity it has among the app’s community of users.
We have tried it and we are happy to say that this year they have also included a chat to talk about beers with other community members. The app is free and available for iOS and Android.
Be aware of what goes on around you
Gathering all the information related to Oktoberfest is easier with the app Wiesn 2018. It informs you about every single detail of the event, such as the concerts, stages, the different breweries or even the weather condition.
Along with all the information, we are impressed by its features aimed to ensure we survive the Oktoberfest 2018 safely. For example, we can check on a map the location of the security points, toilets or the beer counter that calculates our BAC. It also helps you meet new people as it has a Bavarian translator, so we can actually order a beer in Bavarian!
Wiesn 2018 is an app to use exclusively if you are lucky enough to attend to the Oktoberfest in Munich and it is free for Android.
Pay for a round and get invited without losing your mind
Paying a beer at the Oktoberfest in Munich follows an unwritten rule: each friend pays a round of beers for their friends, especially among the locals. To deal with this habit, we suggest you use Venmo, an app where to add to your fellow travelers and pay them directly from the app. It will make the balance updated, so you can keep track of when to pay or get invited. Get it for free for iOS and Android.
Discover all the events of each day at the Oktoberfest 2018
Apart from drinking beer, there are different events that vary from year to year. Attendants will enjoy parades, music concerts, activities for children and great surprises. We can discover them all with the EventBrite event app. It is equally interesting for those who go to Munich and want to enjoy the full pack of activities, as well as for those who celebrate Oktoberfest in other parts of the world. Get it for free for iOS and Android.
Pablo Clemente Pérez 