Oktoberfest 2024: Beer lovers queue up in Munich to tap the keg

MUNICH (AP) — The Oktoberfest has opened.

On Saturday afternoon, Mayor Dieter Reiter officially opened the Oktoberfest by putting the tap into the first beer barrel, thus ushering in the 189th Oktoberfest. Thousands of beer lovers celebrated on the Munich festival grounds and were the first to toast their beer mugs as the largest folk festival in the world took place.

The waiters immediately began carrying trays – each containing up to eight glass mugs – to the tables. The revelers began to clink their mugs and take long gulps of beer in the stifling heat of the tent.

The celebrations will take place until October 6 in 18 large tents on the Theresienwiese festival grounds.

This year’s festival includes increased security in the wake of a fatal knife attack in Solingena city about 470 kilometers northwest of Munich. Three people died and eight others were injured in the violence on August 23. The terrorist militia “Islamic State” claimed responsibility responsible for the attack, but without providing any evidence. The organizers then used metal detectors for security reasons for the first time in the history of the Oktoberfest, but stated that there were no specific threats.

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets early Saturday to watch the opening parade, while others crowded around tables in tents, gossiping, playing cards and strolling the fairgrounds to check out the food options and rides and pass the time before they could start drinking.

At 9 a.m., revelers sprinted through the festival grounds as soon as the entrances opened, despite security guards' attempts to keep the procession in order. They laughed despite the morning chill—someone could be heard shouting, “Why are we running?”—and hurried to get back in line, this time to be first into the tents.

Around 6 million visitors are expected over the festival's 16 days – up to 600,000 per day – and they can expect to shell out between 13.60 and 15.30 euros (15.12 to 17.01 dollars) for a 1-liter (33 fl oz) mug of beer. This year's prices are about 3.87% higher than in 2023.

Mikael Caselitz, 24, was born and raised in Munich and has been attending Oktoberfest for years. He believes that everyone should travel to Munich for Oktoberfest at least once in their life.

“It can get pretty crowded and it's gross when people puke on the side of the road,” he joked, “but overall it's a really fun experience.”

Ollie Standen was up at 6am to get in an early line for Oktoberfest, where the beer starts flowing from midday. The 21-year-old Englishman is in Munich this year on a university exchange programme and a local friend told him he had to join in the festivities. He said he was looking forward to trying different German beers not normally available in the UK.

“It’s a great German tradition and I’m happy to be here,” he said.

The event was omitted in 2020 and 2021 because Authorities struggle with COVID-19but returned in 2022.

The first Oktoberfest took place on October 17, 1810 to celebrate the wedding of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Theresa of Saxony. The venue, a meadow on the outskirts of Munich, was called “Theresienwiese” in honor of the bride. This name has stuck, but the first festival was brought forward to September, when temperatures in Bavaria are usually warmer.