Long wooden tables and benches are one of the most recognisable features of Oktoberfest. They create the communal seating associated with traditional Bavarian beer halls, giving groups plenty of room to sit together while using space efficiently inside marquees, halls, and temporary festival venues.
BE Event Hire has supplied tables and benches to Oktoberfest events across the UK for more than 20 years. Our extensive stock lets us cater for everything from a pub hosting an Oktoberfest weekend to major events requiring hundreds or thousands of seats.
Traditional 2 metre beer tables and wooden benches remain the obvious choice for an authentic Oktoberfest layout. Standard trestle tables are another practical option, while rustic tables can give the same communal arrangement a different finish.
Traditional Oktoberfest Seating
Oktoberfest seating is deliberately simple. Long tables are arranged in rows with benches alongside them, allowing groups to eat, drink, and enjoy the entertainment together.
This communal arrangement is an important part of the atmosphere. Instead of separating guests across individual tables and chairs, long runs of tables encourage groups to sit together and make it easier to accommodate substantial numbers of people within the venue.
The format is also practical for organisers. Tables and benches can be repeated throughout a marquee or hall, giving the venue a consistent appearance while making good use of the available floor area.
For a traditional setup, beer tables with matching wooden benches provide the closest fit. You can also incorporate trestle tables where you need extra tabletop space, particularly around food service or in areas where guests are likely to stay seated for longer periods.
Our wider Oktoberfest furniture hire range provides several table options, allowing organisers to select furniture according to the venue, capacity and style of the event.
Beer Tables For Oktoberfest
The 2 metre beer table is the natural starting point for a traditional Oktoberfest layout. Its long, narrow proportions suit communal drinking and dining, especially when several tables are arranged in rows.
The narrower tabletop is an advantage in busy beer halls and marquees. Guests have enough room for steins, plates, and shared food, but the tables do not take up the same floor area as wider dining tables. This helps organisers fit more seating while keeping clear routes through the venue.
Beer tables can be positioned individually or placed end to end to create longer runs. The latter works particularly well in bigger venues where the aim is to reproduce the appearance of a traditional Bavarian beer hall.
They are also folding tables, making them considerably easier to transport, position and clear than permanent furniture. This is particularly useful for temporary Oktoberfest venues where the entire interior may need to be installed within a relatively short event build period.
Paired with matching wooden benches, the furniture needs little else. The simple wooden appearance already provides the traditional foundation associated with Oktoberfest.
Wooden Benches For Communal Seating
An Oktoberfest table needs suitable seating, and our 2 metre wooden benches are designed to work naturally alongside beer tables.
Benches provide the long runs of seating traditionally associated with Oktoberfest while allowing groups to sit together without individual chairs interrupting the arrangement. Guests can move along the bench as spaces become available, making the seating particularly useful for busy events with several sessions or a steady flow of visitors.
Their proportions also complement 2 metre beer tables, creating a balanced table and bench arrangement that can be repeated throughout the venue.
For organisers working with substantial capacities, this simplicity is useful. Rather than specifying several chair styles or complicated seating arrangements, organisers can use the same table and bench combination across most of the main guest area.
Benches can also be used with trestle tables where a wider surface is preferred. This gives organisers greater flexibility without losing the communal style that makes Oktoberfest seating so distinctive.
Trestle Tables For Oktoberfest
Beer tables may be the traditional choice, but wooden trestle tables have long been a staple of UK Oktoberfest events.
Our standard 6ft by 2ft 6in trestle table provides more tabletop depth than a traditional beer table. This can be useful when guests are served substantial meals, share platters, or spend longer periods seated at the table.
For venues where floor space is at more of a premium, the narrower 6ft by 2ft trestle table provides another option. Its proportions make it particularly useful for creating long runs while keeping the overall footprint relatively compact.
At the other end of the range, our 6ft by 3ft trestle table provides considerably more surface area. These work well where food service takes priority or where tables serve another operational purpose within the venue.
Trestle tables are straightforward to arrange in rows and can be positioned end to end for longer communal runs. Their folding legs also make them practical for temporary venues where furniture needs to arrive, be positioned and then be removed efficiently after the event.
With more than 10,000 tables in stock, BE Event Hire can accommodate substantial requirements as well as smaller orders. Our trestle table hire guide provides further information about the different sizes available if you are deciding which dimensions best suit your Oktoberfest.
Rustic Oktoberfest Tables
Traditional Oktoberfest furniture doesn’t have to mean using the same table at every event.
For organisers looking for a more distinctive wooden finish, our 6ft by 2ft 6in rustic trestle tables offer the familiar proportions of a trestle table with a more decorative appearance.
The natural wooden finish means these tables can be used without linen, making them particularly suited to venues where exposed timber forms part of the overall setting. They work well in barns, marquees and temporary structures where organisers want the warmth of traditional wooden furniture without relying solely on standard trestles.
Another option is the 6ft by 2ft 6in limewash distressed trestle table. Its lighter finish offers a different take on communal Oktoberfest seating and works particularly well for private celebrations and events that combine Oktoberfest influences with a more styled setting.
Rustic tables can still be arranged in the familiar long rows associated with beer halls, so choosing a different finish does not mean losing the communal nature of the layout.
For events using rustic tables throughout other areas of the venue, our rustic furniture hire range provides further options for creating a consistent appearance.
Table and Bench Layouts
The classic Oktoberfest arrangement consists of parallel rows of long tables with benches positioned along each side. It is simple, recognisable and particularly effective in rectangular marquees and temporary beer halls.
For larger venues, you can place beer tables end to end to form substantial communal runs. This creates the busy beer hall appearance associated with Oktoberfest while keeping the furniture arrangement straightforward.
Trestle tables offer similar flexibility. Several 6ft tables can be positioned together, allowing you to adjust each run’s length to the venue’s dimensions.
Not every table needs to form one continuous row. Breaking longer runs into smaller sections can provide additional routes through the seating area and make different parts of the venue easier to access. The best arrangement will depend on entrances, exits, bars, stages, catering points, and the shape of the available floor space.
A combination of beer tables and standard trestles can also be useful. Traditional beer tables might form the main guest seating, with wider trestles used where additional tabletop space is needed.
Whichever arrangement you choose, the aim is to retain the communal character of Oktoberfest while creating a layout suited to the individual venue.
For organisers working on the wider event at the same time, our Oktoberfest event ideas, planning and tips covers venues, entertainment, food, drink and other aspects of organising an Oktoberfest celebration.
Nationwide Oktoberfest Table and Bench Hire
BE Event Hire has supplied tables and benches to Oktoberfest events around the country for more than 20 years. From smaller pub and community celebrations to major temporary venues welcoming thousands of visitors, we understand the furniture quantities and delivery arrangements involved in Oktoberfest events.
Our extensive stock lets us meet substantial requirements during the busy autumn event season. Organisers can hire traditional 2 metre beer tables with matching 2 metre wooden benches, alongside trestle tables where a wider tabletop or different layout is required.
We provide nationwide delivery and collection across the UK and regularly work with event organisers managing temporary venues, festivals and substantial furniture requirements. This experience means our team understands the importance of coordinating deliveries with venue access and event build schedules.
Oktoberfest takes place during a relatively concentrated period of the events calendar, with many venues requiring similar tables and benches at the same time. Booking early is advisable, particularly for events requiring substantial quantities.
Whether you need several beer tables and benches for a pub Oktoberfest or hundreds of tables for a major festival, contact BE Event Hire for a free, no-obligation quote on nationwide Oktoberfest table and bench hire.
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