SOFT NEWS – Oktoberfest gets off to the best possible start

MUNICH, September 20 /ATSH-DPA/ – The 191st edition of Oktoberfest has begun in the southern German city of Munich and, at this famous beer festival, more than six million visitors from around the world are expected.

Munich’s new mayor, Dominik Krause (of the Green party), tapped the first beer keg with just two hammer blows during his first Oktoberfest opening ceremony on Saturday, before proclaiming “O’zapft is” – a Bavarian expression meaning “it is tapped” (the keg).

Krause, 36, had previously declared that his goal was to tap the keg with “two to three” blows.

Following tradition, he handed the first liter of beer to Bavarian premier Markus Söder of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), despite frequent political clashes between Söder and the Greens.

It was the first time Söder received the Oktoberfest opening beer from a Green mayor.

Krause has held the post since May. Söder joked that the mayor had succeeded because he had trained for whole months in the keg-tapping procedure.

As cannon shots signaled the official start of the festival, Krause and Söder raised their glasses and wished for an incident-free Oktoberfest.

Tens of thousands of visitors, who had waited in the beer tents since the morning, could then order their first beers.

“Excellent weather, many visitors and a perfect opening ceremony,” said Oktoberfest director Christian Scharpf.

Söder stressed that this was a time to celebrate, leaving politics aside.

“The more difficult the times, I believe, the more important it is to disconnect from stress and breathe freely during the crisis,” he said.

Oktoberfest draws celebrities

Stars from the world of sport and culture were present on opening day, including Bayern footballer Joshua Kimmich, Munich Philharmonic conductor Lahav Shani, and pop music star DJ Ötzi.

For 16 days, until October 4, visitors can enjoy the beer tents, fairground attractions, traditional Bavarian food and live music, while many of them dress in the traditional “dirndl” and “lederhosen” outfits.

Visitors began streaming toward the festival grounds early on Saturday, in mild and sunny weather, with many dressed in traditional Bavarian costumes.

Some people had waited in the dark, outside the fences surrounding the festival area, since the early hours of the morning.

When the gates opened shortly after 09:00 (07:00 GMT), visitors ran toward the beer tents to grab good spots.

Security personnel constantly slowed the crowds, allowing people to enter the area in different phases.

The festival, locally known as “Wiesn,” is considered the largest beer festival in the world.

Beer prices approach 16 euros

Oktoberfest beer is more expensive again this year; the standard one-liter Maß costs between 14.80 and 15.90 euros ($17 to $18.27).

The average price has risen by 2.38% compared to last year, reaching 15.61 euros.

Visitors looking to save money can use the free drinking-water fountains located around the festival area.

While the price of Oktoberfest beer is a perennial topic of debate, Peter Inselkammer, spokesperson for the festival’s beer-tent owners, said it remains relatively cheap by international standards.

He mentioned a large Bavarian-style beer hall in Las Vegas, where a liter of beer costs $24.

More than 50 AI-backed cameras aim to detect potentially dangerous crowd build-ups at early stages.

On high-traffic days, a crowd observer will also monitor visitor movement and can issue announcements to attendees if needed.

Around 600 police officers and hundreds of security personnel, employed by the city and the festival organizers, are on duty in the festival area.

Police said they are also well prepared following recent drone incidents, with the support of a new anti-drone expertise and defense center.

Visitors must undergo checks at the entrance, while knives and other dangerous objects are prohibited. / a.jor.