The 191st Oktoberfest begins in Munich — Deutsche Welle English
The 191st Oktoberfest has begun in Munich, Germany. After the gates opened, thousands of visitors headed to the beer tents to secure seats. As Deutsche Welle English reports, some guests waited at the entrance for several hours, while the first people in line arrived as early as 7:00 p.m. on Friday with camping chairs, sleeping bags and thermal blankets.
Festival opening
Organizers temporarily held back part of the crowd at the entrance and admitted people to the grounds in stages to avoid a more concentrated influx. Beer will not be served until the official ceremony at noon, when Munich’s new mayor, Dominik Krause of the Greens party, is expected to open the first barrel with the traditional Bavarian exclamation, O’zapft is, meaning “the barrel is tapped.”
The 36-year-old Krause said he hopes to open the barrel with two or three hammer blows. He is then expected to serve the first liter of beer to Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder of the Christian Social Union. This will be the first time Söder receives the ceremonial drink from a mayor from the Greens. Cannon shots will signal that beer can be served throughout the festival grounds.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Prices and expected number of guests
The festival will last 16 days, until October 4, with expected attendance exceeding 6 million. Oktoberfest, which locals call Wiesn, offers beer tents, fairground rides, traditional Bavarian food and live music.
A liter of beer costs between €14.80 and €15.90 this year, while the average price is €15.61, 2.38% higher than last year. According to an analysis, since 1985 the average price of a liter of beer has risen nearly fivefold: at that time, it was about 6.25 German marks, or €3.20 at the fixed conversion rate.
