Munich is once again in its own special “state of emergency”: for 16 days, the Theresienwiese becomes a mix of a traditional Bavarian costume catwalk, funfair, beer garden and open-air stage, as Bavaria’s capital celebrates the return of Oktoberfest.
By late morning, it was clear: the Wiesn was back. Decorated horse-drawn carriages, brass bands and festival hosts made their way towards the Theresienwiese, while growing crowds gathered around the fairground. Munich had dressed up for the occasion, and apparently nobody intended to worry about details such as calories, footwear or the weather forecast – not least because Bavaria was enjoying glorious sunshine and temperatures just above 20 degrees Celsius.
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The Theresienwiese was already filling up earlier in the day. At around 10:35 a.m., the traditional procession of the Wiesn landlords got under way. Around 1,000 participants, including festival hosts, showmen, musicians and waiting staff, made their way through central Munich to the Theresienwiese in decorated carriages and horse-drawn wagons.
Beer only after the keg is tapped
The festival tents had already opened at 9 a.m., initially serving non-alcoholic drinks and light snacks. Beer could only be served after the official tapping of the first keg. The fairground rides also started operating only afterwards.
The big moment finally came at exactly noon in the Schottenhamel festival tent. Munich’s new mayor, Dominik Krause, took the mallet and, for the first time in his term of office, tapped the first keg. After the traditional “O’zapft is!” and the twelve cannon shots fired from the Bavaria, the monumental bronze statue and landmark of the Free State of Bavaria, it was clear: there was no turning back. The beer could flow.
As the first one-litre stein made its way to Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder, the most important question of the day on the Theresienwiese was probably already being asked: Where can we still find a seat?
Millions of visitors expected
The Wiesn is one of the largest folk festivals in the world and attracts millions of visitors from Germany and abroad every year. According to Bavarian public broadcaster BR, around 6.5 million people attended the last Oktoberfest.
This year, a Maß of beer costs between €14.80 and €15.90, depending on the tent, meaning visitors once again have to dig a little deeper into their pockets. A large pretzel at the Wiesn costs around €5 to €6.
For getting to the festival, the city recommends using public transport. The Theresienwiese can be reached via several U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations. Anyone travelling by car should be prepared for an extremely difficult search for a parking space around the fairground.