Oktoberfest 2023: Nine moments from the Oktoberfest that will be remembered – Munich

A record Oktoberfest for Munich

Already on the first day, a record was clear: that this year’s Oktoberfest would be a particularly long one at 18 days. And in some ways it became even more unique. As if to apologize for their poor performance last year, when mulled wine was even served to combat the cold, this year the sun shone particularly often and particularly warmly. What pleased the people who flocked to Theresienwiese in record numbers this year: 7.2 million visitors were counted, 1.5 million more than a year ago and almost a million more than the last time before Corona. Oktoberfest 2019.

There was also a record in the consumption of – no, not beer, but non-alcoholic drinks, which were 50 percent more in demand. Oktoberfest boss Clemens Baumgärtner summed it up on Tuesday: “We experienced an Oktoberfest straight out of a picture book.”

Drinking water fountains arrive

Speaking of non-alcoholic drinks: For the first time this year there were four fountains on the festival grounds from which visitors could drink drinking water for free. This was very well received: around 100,000 liters were filled. This apparently did not affect consumption in the tents: On the first Sunday of the Oktoberfest, for example, people in the Schottenhamel tent were so thirsty for water, despite the drinking water fountain outside, that the water ran out in the evening.

OB Reiter taps well and too early

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The fact that Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) leaves nothing to chance when it comes to tapping is shown by the fact that he is preparing for his appearance on the first Saturday of the Oktoberfest with the help of a tapping trainer. Last year it was rumored that Reiter was a little rusty because of the corona pandemic because he needed three strokes instead of the appropriate two, which is almost a scandal in a federal state where appearing in the beer tent is almost considered a politician seems to be more important than his party program. This year, Reiter didn’t allow himself to be criticized and took a confident lead with two shots. At best, one can say that he tapped in a little too early, but so be it. Or as Reiter said nine years ago when he forgot the security strike: “Screw it, don’t worry! O’zapft is!”

Vegan and organic are in demand

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Oktoberfest is changing: not only is there more demand for non-alcoholic beer and non-alcoholic food, but it also no longer boasts about the number of animals eaten as it did before the pandemic. Wiesn boss Clemens Baumgärtner announced at the half-time balance that “no dead animals” would be counted anymore. What is becoming apparent is that vegan food is increasingly finding its way into the Oktoberfest. And organic is also in demand: this year, for the first time, chicken meat came from more than just conventional farming. Of course, it cannot be said how much of it was eaten (keyword: “don’t count dead animals”), but in the second largest festival tent, the Paulaner tent, landlady Arabella Schörghuber was pleased with the response when asked: “The feedback from our guests on ours Bio-Hendl was consistently positive and exceeded our expectations.”

Hype about Harry Kane

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A small part of FC Bayern – the men’s soccer team – has been going to the Oktoberfest together for years, the women’s team or other athletes, such as the basketball players, are never part of the traditional visit to the Käfer-Schänke. This year was no different. But who was there for the first time was Harry Kane, who, according to reports, is not a bad kicker and was worth 100 million euros for Bayern. Kane was dressed – how could it be otherwise – in leather trousers. Before the visit, teammate Thomas Müller showed him how to eat a white sausage. The fans were happy to see their new star at the Oktoberfest.

Old songs can also be a Oktoberfest hit

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There is no one song that was played up and down in all the tents this year, but from the point of view of Oktoberfest boss Clemens Baumgärtner there is an unofficial favorite: the song “Sarà perché ti amo” by Ricchi e Poveri from 1981. Football fans of AC Milan sing the song, which is essentially the club’s unofficial anthem, loudly before games in the stadium, and the song was brought back into consciousness outside of Italy via social media.

89-year-old flirts with emergency services employees

The employees of the Aicher Ambulance have to take care of some drunk people during the Oktoberfest. One of the nicest encounters was probably the one with an 89-year-old, “the oldest patient to date who found her way to us because of her alcohol consumption,” as it was said. The senior, an experienced Oktoberfest-goer, didn’t have a good time with the second mass, which in her opinion could only be because she was now “a bitchy” and no longer “as good as she used to be.” She really enjoyed her stay in the medical station because there were so many “snazzy young boys” trying to look after her. She allowed one of them to take her home, but “not into the bedroom, that’s the taboo zone.” She is old-fashioned in this respect.

Full moon delivers kitsch Oktoberfest photos

On the Friday before the last Oktoberfest weekend the time had come: the full moon shone in all its glory. And that wouldn’t have been unusual if the clouds hadn’t decided to part that evening and reveal an undisturbed view of the moon. And so photographers were able to capture a lot of very beautiful photos so that they will appear in beautiful Munich calendars next year.

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Sparklers at the end

It’s a well-loved Oktoberfest custom: on the last evening, shortly before the bar closes, the lights in the tents are dimmed and sparklers are lit. After an XXL Oktoberfest this year, the employees were particularly looking forward to this moment in which the tension would be released and they could toast with their colleagues in peace. Cheers to this year’s Oktoberfest!