When Alton Towers Resort announced its 40th anniversary plans earlier this year, it could have never envisaged what would follow - with months of closure and cancelled events thanks to the pandemic.
But the Staffordshire theme park was able to bring some much needed cheer to guests as its newest event, Oktoberfest, kicked off.
With Bratwursts, pretzels and German beer aplenty, visitors are able to enjoy the festival in a Bavarian-themed venue at the heart of the park – without needing to jump on a plane.
At 3pm every day from September 11 to October 4, 2020, live music takes over with something for all the family. Our highlight when we visited on opening weekend was German Jukebox, a 5-piece oompah band from London, who had everyone up on their feet and dancing – socially distanced of course.
During our visit we enjoyed Bratwursts with Sauerkraut, a traditional hog roast bap, pretzels and of course sampled the beer on offer too.
If Spaten, a German Helles premium lager brewed in Munich, isn’t to your taste then there’s also some mulled wine and ciders on offer too, as well as soft drinks and luxury hot chocolate.
Park guests can enjoy the Oktoberfest celebrations as part of their ticket price, which means exhilarating rides and attractions are also on the cards until the later time of 8pm Friday – Sunday, or 6pm Monday - Thursday. The little ones can also have fun at CBeebies Land until 7pm Friday – Sunday.
We know how disconcerting it can be going to a huge attraction such as Alton Towers during the pandemic, however the measures put into place to ensure staff and guests’ safety felt reassuring.
Queue lines for attractions and food areas are socially distanced and there are plenty of hand sanitising stations around the park. Masks are required to ride select rides and there are plenty of places to grab one if you forget your own.
Overall we had a great day at Alton Towers and hope Oktoberfest will be back again another year!
If you’d like to experience Oktoberfest for yourself, you’ll need to prebook your tickets on the Alton Towers website.
The event runs until October 4 and Day Passes start at £34 per person.
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