Oktoberfest returns for another season of good food, drinks and lots of entertainment and good fun at Thorpe Park Resort! The event remains mostly the same when compared to previous years however the big difference when compared to 2021’s event is this year the event all happens in one location.
Rather than be spread out in The Dock Yard and outside The Cantina this year the event all happens at The Dock Yard and in our opinion, it works so much better. Before we found there would be gaps where nothing was happening in The DockYard and then you would have to walk over to the other area for live music and more entertainment, with everything being based in one location it now means there's constantly something going on!
Beginning at 12 pm each day there's an opening ceremony where the locals try to tap a barrel and find beer where they find someone had got stuck in the barrel and drunk all of the beer inside it, however, don't worry there are plenty more barrels where that one came from. This small 5-minute stand-up comedy is a great laugh but we wish it was a bit longer and got the audience involved a bit more.
Back to entertain an island like no other Mr and Mrs Euro have brought some special guests with them for the Oktoberfest Variety Show. Featuring Sam Fender, a musical band where the audience gets to pick the subject of the song, and some Bavarian Dancers, this show is one of our favourites which runs throughout the day! This show was new for 2021 and this year the content of the show has been changed slightly which is great!
Entertaining Oktoberfest fans with traditional german music and a few Disney classics and other songs played on trumpets and drums The London Street Band are back for 2022! We’ve always loved sitting down with a beer and watching them play, this year it seems audience interactions are a little bit hindered by the long benches rather than tables where you can interact with those around you. But don't let that stop you, this high-energy band will have you up on your feet drinking and having an amazing time.
Talking of dancing, the traditional Bavarian Dancers are back again this year, dancing on the Dock Yard Stage and then making their way out into the audience for high fives and to dance with anyone brave enough to put on a show. It's great to see traditional dances being done with a Thorpe Park twist applied to them! Be amazed at how strong they are with headstands and gravity-defying tricks.
Of course, none of this event would be possible without the help of some friendly and local germans to keep up the atmosphere. We managed to talk to a few of the locals during our visit to the event and were pleasantly surprised at their interactions with guests and how well they knew the songs and dances. It's almost like they were picked up from Munich and sent to The Dock Yard!
New for 2022, the Mr & Mrs Euro Roaming DJ Set. Or the Oktoberfest mini parade as we call it! Roaming around the park the parade float from Mardi Gras has been given a sausage-themed makeover and has been turned into a portable DJ booth. Entertaining anyone who passes by with music hotter than Nemesis Inferno this DJ set is HOT! See if you can impress Mr & Mrs Euro with your dancing, who knows they might hire you for next year's dance show.
Around the rest of the park, some of the rides such as Rumba Rapids and Detonator have had their music changed to follow the Oktoberfest theme. Play Bavarian Bingo and you might even get the chance to ride again on Samauri or Vortex! As with all events, there's limited edition merchandise available to buy. New for this year we have Oktoberfest-themed bears, pin badges a new Thorpe Park themed stien.
Special food booths have been set up for the event, a huge winter wonderland-style food stand has been set up in Angry Birds Land where you can buy freshly cooked bratwursts. More food can be found down in The Dockyard itself, grab yourself a hot chocolate, a beer, or the freshest and gooiest brownies we’ve ever had!
Overall all we really enjoyed this year's Oktoberfest event, its great to have the event back! The only navigate bit of feedback we had was about the tables and benches, in the past, we’ve had great memories of chatting with other guests. There are still some tables facing each other in the area but it's not quite the same as it was. We wish we could dance the night away with a stein in our hand more often at Thorpe Park!
