When it came to eating, the trend was towards regional, vegan, organically produced and high-quality dishes. Or as Baumgärtner put it in a battered, hoarse voice: “The roast pork is overtaken by the Kasspatzen.”
Poor record of showmen and street vendors
The mood was good and exuberant, but affected by the weather. One wished for more visits to the beer gardens and also that the showmen would have earned more. He doesn’t want to sugarcoat their poor balance sheet, according to the Wiesn boss, who was also disappointed with the street sales (“didn’t bring what it should have”) and announced changes for the new year – but without going into detail here to go.
The souvenir shops sold traditional souvenirs in particular, as well as “everything that warms”, such as scarves, socks and hoodies, for example.
Less energy consumption than before
Baumgärtner gave a positive assessment of the fact that “an incredible number of Munich residents” came to the Theresienwiese; that there had not been the mass shortage of staff that many had feared; that the Munich hotels were busy but not overcrowded; that all guests could have found accommodation in the city itself; and that the energy and water consumption was significantly lower than at previous Oktoberfests – which was due on the one hand to the lower number of visitors, on the other hand to the unheated beer gardens and cost-cutting measures.
“The clear winner” in the hit parades was “Layla” by DJ Robin & Schürze, only the traditional “Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit” was played more often in the tents. Baumgärtner’s conclusion: the Wiesn is back – and those who wanted to have their “fun and their freedom” would have gotten it.
Significant increase in corona incidence
Corona did not seem to play a major role for those who came to the festival. However, as expected, the incidence has recently shot up significantly. Beatrix Zurek, the city of Munich’s health officer, said in an interview with BR24: Not only the number of infections is important – but also what it looks like in the hospitals. The numbers in the normal and intensive care areas would have increased, “but not in such a way that you have to worry”.