Beer and good mood at the 189th Oktoberfest in Munich

MUNICH – Bridie O'Halloran drank the first beer of her life at Oktoberfest.

The 19-year-old Australian described it as “the best beer I've ever had” after draining about a quarter of her litre (33 fluid ounce) mug on Saturday. Wearing a pink dirndl dress she'd bought just hours earlier, O'Halloran was surrounded by tens of thousands of other – probably more experienced – beer drinkers on the first of 16 days of the 189th Oktoberfest in Munich.

On Saturday, the revelers celebrated the official opening of the largest folk festival in the world. Mayor Dieter Reiter opened the festivities at noon when he tapped the first beer keg.

Waiters immediately began carrying beer through the packed tents – each carrying up to ten glass mugs. Inside, guests clinked their mugs in the stifling heat and took long gulps of beer as bands played traditional Bavarian folk music. But signs reminded them not to dance on the tables.

The festival runs until October 6 in 18 large tents on the Theresienwiese. During the 16 days of the festival, around 6 million visitors are expected – up to 600,000 per day – and can expect to shell out between 13.60 and 15.30 euros (15.12 to 17.01 dollars) for a large mug of beer. This year's prices are about 3.87% higher than in 2023.

This year, security measures have also been increased following the fatal knife attack in Solingen, a 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 for the attack, but did not provide any evidence. The organizers then used metal detectors as part of the security measures for the first time in the history of the Oktoberfest, but stated that there were no specific threats.

Early Saturday morning, revelers ran through the festival grounds at 9 a.m. as soon as the entrances opened, despite attempts by security guards to keep the procession in order. They laughed despite the morning chill – someone could be heard shouting, “Why are we running?” – and hurried to join the line again, this time to be first into the tents and claim their tables.

After the traditional parade and Reiter's ceremonial tapping of the keg, festival-goers in and outside the tents enjoyed beer and food, with roast chicken, bratwurst and pretzels among the most popular dishes. Rides provided entertainment for young partygoers who had traveled to the festival grounds with their parents.

Like many others who were there on Saturday, 24-year-old Mikael Caselitz was born and raised in Munich and has been attending Oktoberfest for years. He said everyone should travel to the city for the festival 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 got up at 6am to get in line in time for the tapping of the keg at 12pm. The 21-year-old Englishman is in Munich this year on a university exchange programme and a local friend told him he had to be part of the festivities. He said he was looking forward to trying different German beers that are not normally available in the UK.

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

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event had to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021, but will take place again 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 because temperatures are usually warmer in Bavaria.