A German festival isn’t complete without soul-livening music and entertainment – and that’s why the line-up landing at Oktoberfest Brisbane makes it the biggest and best in Australia.

It’s deep inside the mammoth 3,500 square metre Oktoberfest Tent where bunting, music and merrymaking create an electric atmosphere that makes it very easy to embrace your inner German.

Here are three of the best entertainment acts you won’t want to miss:

‘Münchner Buam’ – Bavarian Oompah band

Rainer and his 6-member folk band, Münchner Buam, have once again flown all the way from Bavaria to entertain the Brisbane crowd with traditional and modern classics like ‘In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus’, ‘Anton aus Tirol’, and ‘Flligerlied.

As the rhythmical sounds of a deep brass instrument and higher-pitched instruments beat through your veins, you’ll feel as though you’re in Bavarian heaven – and standing alongside your best mates it’ll be hard to resist the urge to dance.

Alpenrosen Dance Group

The Alpenrosen Dance Group celebrates an important and rather cool aspect of German culture with a repertoire including traditional dances from Upper Bavaria and Tyrol including the Shoe-Slapping {Schuhplattler} and the Ringing of the Cowbells {Kuh Glocken}

This all ages group demonstrates just how strong and proud Brisbane’s growing German community really is and fortunately it’ll all be on display for us to enjoy. Get ready to try your luck as some traditional German dancing!

Yodeller Heidi

It’s about as far-removed as you can get from Nena’s famous 1983 classic “Neunundneunzig Luftballoons” when Heidi takes to the Oktoberfest Brisbane main stage.

Instead, marvel at her raw yodeling talent that takes you to the treetops of Germany’s mountains – and share the fun with your friends in the crowd sing-a-long.

There are some important preparations for attending Oktoberfest Brisbane that are better enjoyed together, so why not stay with your friends at a nearby hotel for this year’s festival.

Hotels aren’t just for those travelling from afar. Get the German vibes rolling as you and your mates meet before the festival to ‘kit up’ in your Dirndl and Lederhosen and get ready to celebrate.

On top of value for money, we’ve selected hotel partners based on location and convenience to the Brisbane Showgrounds (where Oktoberfest Brisbane is staged), so after dancing away to the Bavarian Oompah Band all night you won’t have far to walk!

Here are our hotel partners:

Our Principal Hotel Partner – Watermark Hotel Brisbane is a 4.5 star boutique hotel conveniently located in historic Spring Hill, just 10 minutes’ walk from the Brisbane CBD and within close proximity to lively shopping, dining and nightlife.

Rydges Hotel – Fortitude Valley – Opposite both the Royal International Convention Centre and Brisbane Showgrounds (that’s right-opposite Oktoberfest Brisbane’s entry gates!), this contemporary hotel in Bowen Hills is a 9-minute walk from Fortitude Valley train station.

Oaks – Mews (Fortitude Valley) – A 15-minute walk from the entry gates of Oktoberfest Brisbane at the Brisbane Showgrounds, these contemporary serviced apartments in a low-rise building are 3.5 km from the City Botanic Gardens and 4.4 km from the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art.

Mantra – With nine unique hotels throughout Brisbane, revel in the festival activities knowing your accommodation is just a hop, skip and a jump away. At Mantra, you can make the most of Brisbane during your stay too, discover the heart of the CBD, wine and dine in Southbank, or café hop and boutique shop in Fortitude Valley.

See our hotel partners here.

If Oktoberfest Brisbane is your family fun day out, make sure you know what’s happening at the KinderZone with an expanded program in 2016 offering plenty of fun, interactive and educational activities for children of all ages.

With an exciting line-up of live shows happening over both weekends, it won’t just be kids marveling at the entertainment with traditional puppet shows and nostalgic board games taking parents on a trip down memory lane.

This year we’ve chosen the Top 5 activities you won’t want to miss at this year’s festival:

1. Learn German – get a taste for learning another language with ‘learn German’ workshops happening on the entertainment stage daily. Ja, bitte!

2. Animal Planet’s ‘Snake Boss’ live shows – yes, Julia Baker, the snake catcher from the Snake Boss television series, will bring a few sss-slimy creatures to the entertainment stage for all to sss-see.

3. Kasperltheater (Puppet Theatre) – it’s almost impossible to avoid laughter when the live puppet show ‘Kasperltheater’ is on at the main stage. See the children’s faces as they watch on in awe of the traditional characters.

4. Oceanlife Discovery – take a look beneath the ocean as this program brings the Sea to You.

5. Giant Games – giant Janga blocks and a massive Connect 4 game will put a big twist on some old favourites!

The KinderZone also boasts plenty of other entertainment including the Street Science Show, Alpenrosen Dance Group, Glockenspiel – learn to play, Little Green Thumbs, Kindermusik, Circus workshops and an animal farm!

And don’t forget, just next to the KinderZone the popular carnival rides will be back again for all to enjoy!

Click HERE to see the festival program.