I love Oktoberfest. I always manage to visit one event a year in Cambridgeshire. There is just something about the purity in its simplicity. Big beer, hearty food, and great tunes. I have always been a sucker for an oompah band and I love German beer. So much so in fact, that I have travelled to Germany numerous times to visit all the best beer halls across Munich, Berlin, and Cologne. This is why I decided to visit Oktoberfest on Jesus Green with a few friends to see if it could suitably replicate the authentic experience…and it failed. Hard.

Unenforced Seating

On paper, the organisers sell a floor plan with distinct ticket tiers-ranging from standard unreserved seating up to “Bavarian”, “Oktoberfest”, and “VIP / Corporate” zones. It looks well-structured on their website chart.

In reality, during my visit, it was a complete free-for-all. Every table was labelled the exact same way, with no staff or security enforcing the designated areas. I purchased my ticket in the Bavarian area but when I asked the staff where my seating was located they just said “sit anywhere”. Brilliant! 🤷‍♂️

Imagine paying over a hundred pounds for VIP seating for nothing. It just felt like another way of squeezing money out of you (in my opinion).

£14 for Flat Beer

Then there is the drink situation. You are charged £14 for a two-pint plastic stein. I understand why they serve it in plastic in this hysterical health and safety culture we have today, but frankly, it made me feel like a child. If Germans can handle glass, why can’t we?

To make matters worse, the beer was pre-poured in bulk. While that meant quick service at the bar, it resulted in a lukewarm, flat drink. Paying fourteen quid for flat beer in cheap plastic is poor value by any standard. This works out at £7 a pint, which is steep even for Cambridge, especially when you have already paid for entry too. Buying in bulk should at least get you a wee discount.

Missing the Bavarian Vibe

The atmosphere was great, with people doing the conga line, dancing, and singing, but the music was another disappointment. The event website promises traditional German culture and live music, but during my time there, I didn’t see or hear a live oompah band anywhere. Without traditional brass music driving the room, the tent felt a little cheap and failed to capture that classic German spirit.

Heavy-Handed Security

To top off the night, my exit was handled terribly by venue security. While simply trying to navigate through a dense crowd to get off the dance floor, I was confronted by a guard claiming I was “pushing past people” and escorted off the premises on the spot. From my perspective, it was an utterly ridiculous response to someone just trying to walk through a packed tent, and it completely ruined what was left of the night. Even after a rather formal apology (for doing nothing wrong), they refused. Please be careful as some of these ticket prices can get expensive (with some hitting £110) and if you are randomly removed from the festival then you have wasted a lot of money. I didn’t even get a chance to collect my bratwurst 🤣

Better Alternatives in Cambridge

Instead of dropping money on an overpriced tourist trap on Jesus Green, you are far better off looking at the independent venues across the city doing proper Oktoberfest celebrations. Places like The Cambridge Blue or Thirst regularly host brilliant Oktoberfest events where you get incredible, authentic German brews, actual atmosphere, and a warm welcome. Best of all? They won’t charge you a markup just to sit down, only to throw you out when you try to walk across the room.

Cambridge has some fantastic local pop-ups, pubs, and independent spots doing it right, but based on my experience, this temporary setup fell well short of the mark.

Save your money, avoid the headache, and stick to a proper local pub instead.