The 191st Oktoberfest in Munich was officially opened at noon on Saturday with a tap by Dominik Kraus, the new mayor of the city, on the first beer barrel. This ceremony, held every year at 12 noon, is always highly anticipated, and no beer is served until this event takes place.
Tapping the Barrel and Serving the First Beer
Dominik Kraus, a politician from the Green Party, successfully opened the first beer barrel with just two hammer strikes and then served the first beer to Markus Söder, the Prime Minister of Bavaria from the Christian Social Union (CSU). This is the first time Söder has received a ceremonial drink from a Green mayor. Kraus had practiced for this event with a personal trainer and hoped to open the barrel with two or three strikes.
Attraction and Reception of the Festival
After the barrel was tapped, cannon fire announced that beer could be served throughout the festival grounds. A large crowd immediately rushed to the Oktoberfest grounds after the gates opened at 9 AM. Some visitors ran towards the beer tents to secure the best spots, and members of the first group in line said they had arrived with camping chairs, sleeping bags, and emergency blankets since 7 PM on Friday.
The organizers temporarily held back part of the crowd at the entrance and allowed people to enter the grounds in stages to prevent overcrowding. More than 6 million people are expected to attend the festival over its 16-day run until October 4.
Prices and Conditions of the Festival
This festival, locally known as Wiesn, features beer tents, amusement rides, traditional Bavarian food, and live music. The opening day is forecasted to have blue skies and temperatures up to 24 degrees Celsius. The price of a liter of beer this year ranges from 14.80 to 15.90 euros ($17 to $18.27), with the average price increasing by 2.38% compared to last year, reaching 15.61 euros.
Analysis shows that the average price of beer has nearly quintupled since 1985, when a liter of beer cost about 6.25 German marks, equivalent to 3.20 euros at fixed exchange rates. Consumer prices have increased by about 120% during the same period.
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