Thorpe Park Oktoberfest returned for 2024, bringing Bavarian themed entertainment, food, drink and live music to the park during September. Taking place before the start of Fright Nights, the event gave the park a fun end of summer feel and added something extra for guests to enjoy during their visit.
For 2024, the event was mainly focused around The Dock Yard, with the main arena located next to Ghost Train. The area had extra theming, entertainment and food options, helping to give this part of the park a more festive atmosphere.
While there were still some enjoyable moments, this year’s event did feel noticeably smaller than previous years. It still had charm, but it did not feel quite as full or as park wide as Oktoberfest has done in the past.
The Dock Yard Oktoberfest Area
The Dock Yard worked well as the main Oktoberfest hub. With Ghost Train nearby and plenty of space for the stage, food units and roaming entertainment, it made sense as the main event area.
The extra theming helped dress the area up, with Bavarian inspired props and signage giving the space a different feel from the rest of the park. It was not the most heavily themed version of Oktoberfest we have seen at Thorpe Park, but it still looked good and created a nice atmosphere when the entertainment was taking place.
Outside of showtimes, the area did feel a little quieter, and that is where the smaller scale of the event became more noticeable. It would have been nice to see more theming spread across the park to make the event feel bigger.
Danger Goat Oompah Band
The Danger Goat Oompah Band was easily one of the strongest parts of Thorpe Park Oktoberfest 2024. The live music brought a proper Oktoberfest feel to the area and helped give The Dock Yard some much needed energy.
The band were great fun to watch, with a good mix of lively music and crowd interaction. They helped create the kind of upbeat atmosphere you want from an Oktoberfest event, and when they were performing, the area felt much more alive.
This was the highlight of the event for us. It gave guests a reason to stop, watch and enjoy the atmosphere rather than simply walking through the area.
Oktoberfest Family Show
The Oktoberfest Family Show added a fun and light hearted entertainment offering to the event. The show had music, dancing, audience interaction and a lively cast who helped keep the energy up.
It was not a huge show, but it fitted the event nicely and gave Oktoberfest a bit more personality. It worked well for families and guests who wanted a short entertainment break between rides.
The performers did a great job with what they had, but like the rest of the event, it did feel like there could have been more around it to make the show feel part of a bigger celebration.
Meet The Skiers
Meet The Skiers was a fun roaming entertainment moment that helped add a bit more character to the Oktoberfest area. The snowy mountain style theme was a nice twist, and the characters helped bring some extra interaction to the event.
This was a good addition because it gave guests something to enjoy away from the main stage. The performers worked well around the area and helped make The Dock Yard feel less static.
It was a smaller part of the event, but it added charm and helped support the overall Bavarian Alps theme.
Roaming Entertainment
The roaming entertainers helped fill some of the gaps between the scheduled shows. These moments added a bit of extra fun for guests walking through the area and gave the event a more playful feel.
The actors brought good energy and helped make the space feel more active, especially when there was no stage entertainment taking place.
That said, the roaming entertainment was quite limited compared with what Thorpe Park has delivered during some previous seasonal events. It worked well, but more of it would have helped Oktoberfest 2024 feel much stronger.
Food And Drink
Oktoberfest would not feel complete without themed food and drink, and Thorpe Park had a selection of options available during the event. The food and drink offering helped support the festival atmosphere and gave guests something different to enjoy alongside the entertainment.
Themed food always helps make events like this feel more complete, and it was good to see Thorpe Park include options that fitted the Oktoberfest theme.
However, this is another area where the event could have gone further. A larger food and drink line up, with more unique Oktoberfest items, would have helped make the event feel more like a proper festival.
Final Thoughts
Thorpe Park Oktoberfest 2024 was still a fun and relaxed seasonal event, but it definitely felt smaller than previous years. The Dock Yard area looked good, the live entertainment was enjoyable, and the Danger Goat Oompah Band brought a great atmosphere to the event.
The Oktoberfest Family Show, Meet The Skiers and roaming entertainers all helped add character, but the event did not feel as full as it has done in the past. It felt more like a small entertainment offering in one area of the park, rather than a wider Oktoberfest celebration.
Sadly, we do wonder if this could be the end for Oktoberfest at Thorpe Park. This year’s event felt much more scaled back, and while there were still enjoyable moments, it did feel like the event may have reached the end of its run.
If Oktoberfest does not return in the future, it will be a shame, as it has always been a nice way to add extra atmosphere to the park before Fright Nights begins. Thorpe Park Oktoberfest 2024 was enjoyable, but it also felt like a quieter and possibly final chapter for the event.
