Alton Towers Oktoberfest Begins

Alton Towers Resort set to dish up a taste of Germany with a quirky ‘twist’ at Oktoberfest family festival

Bratwurst in pretzel buns, luxury chocolates, lebkuchen biscuits and giant toasted marshmallows are just some of the culinary delights revealed to be on offer at the first ‘Oktoberfest’ taking place at Alton Towers Resort from next weekend.

Ahead of the brand-new family festival, set to be staged at the Resort throughout September, more than 150,000 traditional Bratwurst sausages, 3,000 gallons of ice cream, over a quarter of a million traditional Belgian chocolates and 200,000 giant marshmallows are set to arrive at the Resort.  They’re just some of the German inspired treats that will be dished up for guests, along with lederhosen-clad dancers and cosy firepits to help transform the Theme Park into a Bavarian wonderland.

As well as the more traditional smoked Bratwurst, Currywurst in pretzel bread will also be served from a traditional Schwenkgrill. Giant toasted marshmallows, speciality coffees, flavoured hot chocolates and Gluhwein (mulled wine) are also amongst the tantalising treats on offer as guest enjoy festivities each day, from 3pm, September 11th to October 4th.

By teaming up with Spaten beer, the Theme Park will also offer this classic German Helles premium lager. Brewed in Munich and known for its light, crisp taste and golden colour, it offers a full rounded body of malty sweetness, balanced by delicate hop flavours and aromas. A small selection of traditional English beers will also be served.

And there’s much more than food on offer with a full line-up of themed live entertainment.  In a video released today, Entertainment Manager Simon Allen explains how an outdoor area of the park will be transformed into a Bavarian-themed spectacular entertainment venue.  This includes two stages for live performances from the acts including the foot-stomping German Jukebox and a host of other live musicians, as well as street performances by Bavarian dancers and an Alpine horn player.  He also explains how the venue has been laid out to observe social distancing guidelines, meaning families and friends can focus on enjoying the food, festivities and fun.

Oktoberfest is the first event of its kind to be staged at the Resort as part of the 40th anniversary season of celebration.  In addition to the live acts, delicious food and drinks, guests will have the chance to enjoy the park’s world-class rollercoasters and family attractions into the evening (8pm on weekends). Furthermore, guests will be able to enjoy Oktoberfest’s atmosphere and entertainment within the price of a theme park ticket. (Pre-booking tickets for the theme park will be essential.)

Simon Allen, Entertainment Manager at Alton Towers Resort, said: “Oktoberfest has grown a small folk festival in Munich to a hugely popular event that’s now celebrated around the world, including at some of our sister parks in Europe.  It brings together a great mix of rollercoasters, live entertainment and fabulous food and drink, and we’re thrilled to be hosting the event for the first time at Alton Towers in our 40th birthday year.  Plans are well under way, including plenty of social distancing measures, and there’ll be so much for guests to enjoy. We can’t wait for next Friday for the event to begin!”

Since re-opening on July 4th, Alton Towers Resort has implemented a wide range of measures to help ensure social distancing and good hygiene whilst guests enjoy a fun day out. The Resort remains committed to continuously monitoring and adapting its measures in line with the changing government guidance. Oktoberfest is an outdoor event and has been planned in strict accordance with existing COVID-19 measures, which will be adapted should that guidance change nearer the time.  Capacity will remain at a level where social distancing can be maintained, including in entertainment spaces.  A full list of the measures can be found https://www.altontowers.com/explore/events/oktoberfest/.