London’s best pop-ups

At Between the Bridges, you'll find a campy spin on Oktoberfest tradition, hosted by drag queen Miss Leigh Ding. Over four weekends of boozy fun, you’ll be entertained by either the tweed-clad ten-piece brass crew Old Dirty Brasstards or high-energy brass band Atomic Brass, blasting out covers of 00s pop hits and 80s classics. There’ll be more music from DJs on the decks. Meanwhile, the kitchen and bar will be pumping out the goods to line your stomach with. Every ticket comes with a free stein. We’re talking two-pint steins of delicious beer and street food so good it’ll make you say, ‘Hell ja!’

It feels a bit like Oktoberfest all year round at Munich Cricket Club, but it really takes the Bavarian joy up a notch as the season approaches. From mid September til the end of October, the spirit of the fest will take over its Canary Wharf, Tower Hill and Victoria locations. Expect foaming steins, platters of sausage and a live oompah band to get the vibes flying. Dancing on tabletops is encouraged – just be careful not to slip on any saus. The festivities also include the ceremonial tapping of the Oktober barrel, straight from Munich, plus games, silliness and surprises. 

One of London's longest-standing Oktoberfest celebrations unfolds each year in a Bavarian beer tent, which pitches up first in Finsbury Park, then on the green outside Hammersmith station. Inside you'll find trad revelry aplenty, with waiting staff sporting dirndl and lederhosen and amber suds brewed by Bavaria Fester Brewery that can be enjoyed at long sharing tables. Ticket prices vary massively, from student deals to VIP packages, so there's an option for every budget. You can wash all that delicious bratwurst, schnitzel and brezel down with a delicious beer. Bottoms up (if you can, those steins are heavier than you think!). 

Soho beer palace Albert’s Schloss is going all out for Oktoberfest this year, serving Bavarian-themed revelries to central London crowds. The Alpine-themed beer hall and ‘cook haus’ is offering three weeks’ worth of festivities, including a traditional keg tapping ceremony, a sausage-eating contest, oompah brass band performances, a best Lederhosen competition, loads of games and all the usual daily performances from the resident Haus band. It also promises to be one of the only places outside Munich where you can try all six Oktoberfest beers. Entry is free; just turn up and get ready to fröhlich. On Saturday’s the place will also host an Oktoberfest Kabaret Bottomless Brünchen, with 90 minutes of bottomless prosecco, mimosas, bier, Bloody Marys, spritz cocktails, and a ‘cook haus’ dish for £60pp. Between 12:30pm and 3:30pm.

Londoners can get a taste of the Basque this September at a one-day food and drink festival celebrating Basque culture. Us Brits love a bar crawl, but this night promises a twist on the classic British pastime, with Basque tunes and pintxos – plus a free cider on entry if you book on Eventbrite. Pop-up ‘barstops’ make it possible to complete a crawl in just one location, and guests can vote for their favourite croqueta across the mini bars to win the title of People’s Champion. Plus, try txakoli, a dry white wine which is a favourite in the Basque.

Housed inside a Grade II-listed building that was once home to the first purpose-built gymnasium in the UK, King’s Cross bier hall German Gymnasium is a great option if you’d like to line your stomach with some proper Bavarian delicacies before necking all those Oktoberfest steins. There’ll be steins of Warsteiner or König Ludwig on offer, as well as a special menu curated by head chef Alexander Thiel, including Bayrische Schweinshaxe, cured and grilled giant pork knuckle, sauerkraut and potato dumpling with a beer jus. Head down on Friday evenings throughout the festival to hear a live Oompah band playing traditional Bavarian ditties from 5.30pm, and be sure to don your best lederhosen or dirndl for a stein on the haus. Prost!

Boxpark is giving its venues a Bavarian makeover again for its lively Oktoberfest celebrations. The shipping container hangout has partnered with pilsner peddlers Staropramen again for another selection of themed brunches and parties. The Croydon, Shoreditch and Camden branches of Boxpark will be filled with frothy steins, traditional Deutsch snackage and all sorts of fun and games. Shoreditch will host special Oktoberfest bottomless brunches, with bottomless Staropramen, German food and games and prizes. While Croydon will deliver a special Bavarian-themed bingo night as well as the full beer hall experience. Word to the wise: Boxpark might be famous for those scenes of pints being thrown skyward during the footie, but we’d advise against lobbing an entire stein in the air, unless you want to literally drown yourself in Staropramen.

Flat Iron Square are getting in on the Oktoberfest action, serving up fun and rustic atmos every Saturday during the season Inside the beer tent, you’ll find a whole host of German beers and food, from soft pretzels, bratwurst, currywurst and so much more. Entertainment will come from a live Oompah band and a selection of DJs, while a friendly MC will be overseeing the proceedings.