Tickets and reservations
Free entry, seats for early risers
No tickets, no advance sale, no registration. How to still sit well, and what the reservation in the serviced area is about.
The short truth
There are no tickets
Anyone searching for Kocherlball tickets searches in vain, and that is the best possible news: the ball is free. No advance sale, no box office, no registration, no guest list.
The Kocherlball is a public folk festival in the English Garden. You pay only for what you eat and drink. Seats at the long tables are allocated the way they always have been: first come, first seated. Which is exactly why, for many locals, the day starts at four in the morning with a blanket, a candlestick and a breakfast basket.
Admission
Free
No ticket, no advance sale
Registration
None
Just show up
Open seating
First come
Filling up from about 4 am
Serviced area
Partly reservable
Details announced by the city
Reservations in detail
What can be reserved, and what cannot
Not reservable
- The long tables in the self-service area, the heart of the ball.
- The meadow around the tower where many picnic on blankets.
- Standing room by the dance floor at the tower.
Partly reservable
- In the serviced area of the beer garden, a share of tables can be reserved according to the city.
- Details for each year are announced in advance, typically in spring.
- The contact is the beer garden at the Chinese Tower, not this site.
We are a private regulars' table and do not broker reservations. Binding information about the serviced area comes from the beer garden at the Chinese Tower; the City of Munich's announcements carry each year's details.
Questions
In brief
Do I need tickets for the Kocherlball?
No. The Kocherlball is free and open to everyone. There are no tickets, no advance sale and no box office.
Can I reserve a table?
Most seating is unreserved and goes to early birds. In the serviced area of the beer garden a share of tables can be reserved; the city announces the details for each year in advance, typically from spring.
How early should I arrive to get a seat?
The first guests arrive around 4 am. Arriving by 5 am usually still finds good seats; by the 6 am opening it gets crowded. A blanket or folding chair is a solid plan B.
How much does the Kocherlball cost?
Admission is free. You only pay for food and drink at the beer garden, or bring your own picnic, which beer garden tradition allows in the self-service area.
The best seat costs only an early alarm
Note the date, set the clock, pack a blanket.
See the 2027 date