Queue since five in the morning
Maybe the new normal at the Wiesn in the future: standing in line. Six hours before the official opening, several dozen people are already waiting to be admitted in the cold autumn weather early on Saturday morning. Some have brought snacks with them – even more are glowing with beer they have brought with them. The first arrived early in the morning when it was still dark. Numerous people in dirndls and lederhosen flock to the festival grounds in the streets.
The run on the beer tents
The area on the Theresienwiese will be opened shortly after 9 a.m. Then the crowds rush to get a good seat in a beer tent. Before the pandemic, six million visitors regularly came to what is probably the largest folk festival in the world. Whether the rush will be as great this year as it used to be remains to be seen. Some expect more guests – others rather less. Concerns about Corona, but also money worries could be the reason.
Weather only for die-hards
Petrus didn’t mean it that well with the Wiesn fans this year: Sometimes it’s drizzling, sometimes it’s raining, sometimes it’s pouring – and sometimes it’s okay. But always cold. Those who can flee to a marquee on the Theresienwiese. The hardened – or the unfortunate ones without a campsite – stay outside and wait for the Wiesn landlords to move in.
Reiter finds his decision “good”
Dieter Reiter thinks what a good decision he made: to let the Oktoberfest take place. He’s happy “that we did it,” he said. “I’m just happy that people are in a good mood.” That was already evident when entering the festival area, when many people were standing on the side of the road: “Everyone is looking forward to it – and that’s what makes you as mayor happy the most.” After carefully considering all the risks, Reiter gave the go-ahead for the Oktoberfest in April. Only when tapping the mayor had a less good hand this year.
Söder’s thoughts on the supposedly new Wiesn hit
Still completely without beer, Bavaria’s Prime Minister takes advantage of the moment for a few basic statements. A few minutes before tapping, he comments on the supposedly new Wiesn hit “Layla” (which, by the way, will not be heard until 1:41 p.m. in the Schottenhamel tent). The song is controversial because of its sexist lyrics. But Söder thinks: “Everyone should wear what they want at this Wiesn, everyone should eat what they want, and if the band plays a song that not everyone likes, then everyone should be able to sing what they want. ” The waiting crowd applauds the Prime Minister for his alleged “Liberalitas Bavariae”, some others roll their eyes in exasperation, and there are also a few whistles.
The mayor needs three punches
The opening of the Oktoberfest is the privilege of the mayor of Munich. On the first day of the Wiesn at 12 noon sharp, he taps the first beer keg and thus opens the folk festival. How many hits a mayor needs also influences his reputation in the city. Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) is in a way a record holder. Except for the current Oktoberfest and his first Oktoberfest in 2014, he only ever needed two hits. This year it was three strokes – maybe it was because he got a little out of practice during the years of the Corona compulsory break. Reiter took it easy: At least next time there’s room for improvement, he said.
Terrible thirst for beer
The Oktoberfest has been canceled twice in a row, the thirst for festival beer is now all the greater: Since shortly after 12 noon, the masses can be sold in the festival tents on the Theresienwiese – the masses are happy! The price of the Mass beer alone has risen by almost 16 percent since 2019. The mass now costs between 12.60 euros and 13.80 euros.
An ex-Chancellor comes to visit
Former chancellors like to cavort at the tapping at the Oktoberfest – in 2018, for example, Gerhard Schröder and his wife So-yeon Schröder-Kim came. In 2022, the former top Austrian politician Sebastian Kurz will be in the Schottenhamel marquee. When Markus Söder comes out of the tap box, he greets the ex-politician. Mr. Kurz is also happy to take photos with guests. Normally, politicians like to use the first day of the Wiesn for their election campaign – Kurz’s motivation is unknown. At least he has a measure to toast.
Heavy rain in the beer garden or waiting in front of the festival tents
The rain can’t spoil the mood of this Wiesn fan – some other visitors prefer to grumble to themselves: “Can someone turn off the rain now, please?” If you arrive late at the festival site, you will have to wait in front of the tents. Or just take a seat in the wet beer garden.
First “beer corpse” at 2:07 p.m
On the first day of the Oktoberfest, this message is only a matter of time: When do paramedics have to take care of the first “beer corpse”, i.e. someone who has drunk too much beyond their thirst? This year the answer is: at 2:07 p.m. A “drunk” young woman was admitted there, said a spokesman for the Aicher Ambulance medical station. 24 minutes later, a young man in his mid-20s was taken care of. In other years, the first victims of alcohol were reported before the tapping.