MUNICH (AP) — Mayor Dieter Reiter formally kicked off Oktoberfest on Monday afternoon, tapping the first keg of beer to mark the start of the 189th edition of the festival.
Thousands of beer fans celebrated at the Munich fairgrounds, being the first to clink their glasses at the world’s largest folk festival.
The waitresses immediately began bringing trays, each containing up to eight glass jars, to the tables.
Revelers clinked mugs and drank deep gulps of beer in the stifling heat of the tent.
The celebrations will continue until 6 October in 18 large tents covering the “Theresienwiese” exhibition grounds.
Security will be tightened at this year’s festival following a deadly knife attack in Solingen, a city about 470 kilometres northeast of Munich.
Three people were killed and eight others injured in the attack on August 23. The Islamic State claimed responsibility.
As a result, organizers have added metal detectors to security measures for the first time in Oktoberfest history, but have clarified that there are no specific threats.
Tens of thousands of people lined the streets yesterday morning to watch the opening parade, while others rushed to occupy tables in the tents.
They chatted, played cards, and walked around the grounds to check out the food options and amusement park rides to pass the time before they could start drinking.
The revellers entered the grounds at 9am, as soon as the gates opened, despite attempts by security officers to keep the procession in order.
They laughed despite the morning cold and one of them shouted: “Why are we running?” and they kept running to get back in line, but this time to be the first ones in the tents.
Some 6 million visitors are expected over the 16-day festival — about 600,000 each day — and are expected to pay between 13.60 and 15.30 euros ($15.12 to $17.01) for a one-liter pint of beer.
This year’s prices are approximately 3.87% higher than in 2023.
Mikael Caselitz, 24, was born and raised in Munich and has been attending Oktoberfest for years. He said everyone should travel to Munich for the festival at least once in their life.
“It can get pretty crowded and disgusting when people throw up on the side of the road,” he joked, “but overall, it’s a really fun experience.”
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2024-09-23 10:20:11