Oktoberfest opened in Munich on Saturday as thousands of visitors entered the festival grounds and hurried toward the beer tents, according to DW.
Some attendees waited outside for several hours, hoping to secure preferred places. People at the front of the line said they had arrived on Friday evening with camping chairs, sleeping bags and emergency blankets. Organizers released sections of the crowd in stages to reduce the risk of a concentrated rush at the entrances.
Beer service was scheduled to begin at midday after the official opening ceremony. Munich Mayor Dominik Krause, a member of the environmentalist Greens and 36 years old, was due to tap the first keg using the traditional Bavarian expression “O’zapft is,” meaning “It is tapped.”
Krause said he hoped to open the barrel with two or three blows of the hammer. He was then expected to present the first liter of beer to Bavarian Premier Markus Söder of the conservative Christian Social Union. The ceremony marked the first time Söder would receive the traditional drink from a Green mayor, according to the source.
Cannon fire was to signal that beer could be served across the festival grounds. The event, known locally as the Wiesn, includes beer tents, fairground rides, Bavarian food and live music, and runs for 16 days until October 4.
Organizers expected more than 6 million visitors. Opening-day temperatures were forecast to reach 24 degrees Celsius under blue skies. A liter of beer costs between €14.80 and €15.90 this year, with an average price of €15.61—2.38% higher than last year. DW said the average price has nearly quintupled since 1985, while consumer prices have risen by about 120% over the same period.