The beer is flowing and millions of people descend on the Bavarian capital to celebrate the official opening of Oktoberfest.
With the traditional cry “O’zapft is” — “It’s tapped” — Mayor Dieter Reiter inserted the tap into the first keg at noon on Saturday, officially opening the 18 days of festivities.
Revelers dressed in traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses gathered on the Munich festival grounds on Saturday morning, filling the dozens of traditional tents as they waited to receive their first two-pint mug of beer.
Minutes before the first keg was put into service, to the cheers of the crowd, Bavarian Governor Markus Soeder asked festival-goers if they were ready for the start of Oktoberfest.
“I can only say one thing: it is the most beautiful, biggest and most important festival in the world,” he said.
Oktoberfest typically attracts around 6 million visitors each year.
The event was ignored in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with COVID-19, but returned in 2022.
A 2-quart cup costs between $13.45 and $15.90 this year, an increase of about 6% from last year.
This year’s Oktoberfest, the 188th edition, will run until October 3.
New York Post
