Munich’s 191st Oktoberfest opens as mayor taps first beer barrel

Munich’s 191st Oktoberfest officially opened at noon on Saturday, September 19, with the city’s new mayor, Green Party politician Dominik Krause, tapping the festival’s first barrel of beer.

The traditional midday ceremony is one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the opening day, as no beer is served across the festival grounds until the first barrel has been tapped.

Krause needed just two strikes of the mallet to open the barrel at his first Oktoberfest ceremony as mayor, before presenting the first one-litre mug to Bavarian Premier Markus Söder of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU).

The 36-year-old Krause had prepared for the occasion with a personal tapping coach and said beforehand that he hoped to open the barrel with two or three strikes. His predecessor, Dieter Reiter of the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), had set a high standard by regularly managing the feat with two strikes.

It was the first time Söder received the traditional ceremonial beer from a Green mayor.

Twelve cannon shots then signalled that beer could be served throughout the festival grounds.

Thousands of visitors had already rushed onto the Oktoberfest grounds in southern Munich after the gates opened at 9 a.m. Some ran toward the beer tents to secure the best seats after waiting for hours.

Organizers briefly held back parts of the crowd at the entrance, admitting visitors in stages to prevent a more concentrated rush.

More than 6 million people are expected to attend the 16-day festival, which runs through October 4. Known locally as the Wiesn, Oktoberfest features beer tents, fairground rides, traditional Bavarian food and live music.

Opening day was forecast to bring blue skies and temperatures of up to 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit).

Beer prices have also risen this year. A one-litre (1.8-pint) serving costs between €14.80 and €15.90 ($17-$18.27), with an average price of €15.61, up 2.38% from last year.

An analysis found that the average price of a litre of beer has almost quintupled since 1985, when it cost about 6.25 German marks, equivalent to €3.20 at the fixed conversion rate. Over the same period, consumer prices have risen by about 120%.

By Tamilla Hasanova