Did my Octoberfest reservation get cancelled?

I would suggest contacting whoever you booked the reservation with, as they would be in the best position to know why you're getting that new message rejecting it.

Have you checked to see if your credit card has been charged?

Sounds like it.

I assume you have a larger group of people? Hence the reservation?

If you are just two people, a reservation is not typically needed, or practical, for a Monday lunch. Even a group of four, even larger may be just fine.

I have been 3 times on a Monday, actually the Monday after opening weekend, and even our group of four had the pick of tables in multiple tents.

But yes, for a group of eight or so, getting a reservation makes sense. Not sure if I have any advice. Try again, if still issues, try in a few weeks. They periodically release tables for reservations over time, and they do not, except for the very busiest days, make all tables available.

An addition: One issue you may be having is with your credit card. In EU countries, for online transactions, an authorization method like 3DS, where when you make a transaction, the vendor sends a request to the credit card company, the CC company sends both you and them a code, you enter the code, if your code matches the vendors code, the transaction is approved (like two factor authorization, but 3 of you involved). You might look at your credit cards, maybe call and ask if they offer 3DS. Names would be like Visa Secure, and Mastercard Identity Check. They may need to activate it for you, and they need a contact number for texts.

We went to Hacker Festzelt September 29, 2025 during the day and did not have a reservation. We were there early/mid afternoon, it was our second tent of the day. The atmosphere was great and we had a lot of fun, we did have to leave by the end of afternoon as the table we were at was reserved for the evening. If you go during the day and early in the week, with a group of 4 you should not have a problem getting into most tents. Do not go on the weekend, the crowds on the grounds were brutal.

Well, Anfrage means inquiry, so it is possible that you never had a confirmed reservation, just
a request that was somehow declined. Why, and why you weren't informed via email or
something like that, who knows. The credit card not going through as others have surmised
is definitely a possibility.

Google lists a phone number for Festzelt as +49 89 50222240. Not sure where they got it
from, but while they don't take bookings over the phone, if you can reach someone, they
may be able to explain why your initial request was declined.

Thanks everyone for the input! It is for a group of 6, so felt that a reservation would be less stressful as we were hoping for this particular tent. When I was “booking” it they gave a price (to be solidified in July) but never asked for a CC number. Their FAQ said “We will start in the middle of July with sending you a purchase order form for coupons.” I’m now wondering if they are request based only, as I don’t know what other way people could get an automatic confirmed booking. I went back to their booking site but now they don’t list Monday the 21st anymore. Does this tent release tickets as time goes on? I will try reaching out to them directly!

Well, that is the Monday after opening weekend, in my experience, most of the diehard locals went over the weekend, so will wait until the next week or closing weekend to go again, so there is a nice lull those first few days after the opening.

I can't speak directly for that tent, but yes, it is typical they release a block of tables, then later, if things fill up, release another block. Yes, reservations for returning/long time guests are given priority, but that is mainly for weekends and most evenings, not a lunch or afternoon slot.

If you have not found it, this website is pretty good at navigating all the aspects of Oktoberfest, including tips on reservations: https://oktoberfest-guide.com/oktoberfest-reservations/ and some info on the different "vibes" of the tents.

I had the exact same thing happen to me, I booked a Monday at lunchtime (9/21) and it says "absage der anfrage". Didn't get an email or anything either, and I can submit a new request for any day except that one. Really strange. Did you ever figure out what was going on?