The mayor needs more hits when tapping
One, two, three – the mayor needs a little longer this year.
(Photo: ANDREAS GEBERT/REUTERS)
After a two-year Corona break, Munich’s mayor seems to have gotten a little rusty. With the traditional tapping, Dieter Reiter needed one shot more than usual this time: it was three – in previous years he managed it with two. Shortly after the tapping, there was a small breakdown in the Schottenhamel tent. The band played the controversial song “Layla” in the tent in front of the assembled political celebrities. That wasn’t planned – but then the Kapellmeister was outwitted by a comedian. 17 days later, you’re a bit surprised at the excitement from back then, because “Layla” is now the most-played Oktoberfest hit this year after “Ein Prosit”.
Vortex about the allegedly stretched Oktoberfest mass
Beer stretched with dirty water? Not at the Oktoberfest.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
A video titled “Wiesn 2022 Wildstuben” leads to a lot of excitement in the social networks: you can see a waiter at the bar who scoops yellowish water into beer mugs from a sink, a waiter comes, grabs a jug with a foam crown and carries it away – the Oktoberfest has it an alleged scandal about adulterated beer. In fact, there is nowhere to be seen that dirty water is ending up in beer mugs that are picked up by the waitress. The woman reached for a fresh mass, the dirty broth is said to have gone down the drain. But the host has to explain himself.
Söder and the rain Oktoberfest
Markus Söder has an umbrella for the costume and riflemen’s parade – his wife doesn’t.
(Photo: Christian Einecke/IMAGO/CEPix)
There are a few unwritten rules in Munich: on the escalators, you have to walk on the left and stand on the right; the drinker has to leave a Noagerl in the beer mug – and: During the Oktoberfest there is always Wiesn weather. The sun usually appears just in time for the tapping over the Bavarian state capital; the days after it is so warm that some Wiesn visitors get sunburnt on a ride in the Wilde Maus. This year, however, was different: when it was tapped, it poured from buckets, the day after Prime Minister Markus Söder drove through the city with a carriage and umbrella in the traditional costume procession and in the following days the sun only came out sporadically. Instead, it rained so relentlessly that deep puddles formed on the Oide Wiesn and the showmen and beer garden waitresses complained about the low income. All that’s missing is that next year’s Oktoberfest visitors go from the underground station up to the Theresienwiese on the right side of the escalator and drink up their Noagerl in the tent.
FC Bayern and its far-reaching Wiesn party
Came to the Wiesn and was corona positive three days later: Manuel Neuer.
(Photo: Simon Mellar/FC Bayern – Pool -)
Numerous companies canceled their visit to the Oktoberfest this year in order to avoid Covid 19 infections in the workforce. Not so at FC Bayern Munich AG. On the very first Sunday of the Wiesn, the Munich footballers appeared in the Käfer tent and toasted the camera lenses – albeit a little dazed, because a few hours earlier they had lost 1-0 to Augsburg. Three days after the visit to the beer tent, Manuel Neuer and Leon Goretzka finally got a second line on the corona test. A consequence of the Wiesn excursion? At least that’s close.
The most important Wiesn celebrity visits
No more Oktoberfest single: Elyas M’Barek is sitting with his wife Jessica in the Käfer tent.
(Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa)
Alleged celebrities and hordes of influencers appear en masse at the Oktoberfest – the really interesting sightings in 2022: Arnold Schwarzenegger conducted the song “Steirermen san very good” in the Marstall tent. Schwarzenegger comes regularly to the Wiesn, this year he also spoke at the Bits & Pretzels start-up fair. Actor Elyas M’Barek, who used to be one of the most sought-after Wiesn singles, appeared in the Käfer tent. This year with the subtle difference that he got married and of course his wife Jessica was there. And of course there was the visit of Apple boss Tim Cook. He moved across the festival grounds with moderator Kai Pflaume and even tweeted in Bavarian: “It’s a pity that we’re sitting amiably together again.”
Standstill at the Zugspitzbahn
Standing still: Michael Menzel in front of his Zugspitzbahn (archive picture from 2018)
(Photo: Robert Haas)
After a two-year break from the pandemic, the showmen were happy that Oktoberfest was back and that a lot of money was being poured into the coffers. Michael Menzel was finally able to rebuild his Zugspitzbahn. But in the days that followed, Oktoberfest visitors were not able to board the gondolas. A spare part was missing from the attraction, which has been at the Oktoberfest for more than 80 years. The cargo was lost at Paris airport. The package turned up again in the second week of the Oktoberfest, but there wasn’t enough time for TÜV approval; Menzel was unable to submit the required documents in time. It can’t get any worse. On the last day of Oktoberfest, however, Menzel doesn’t want to whine too much. He is certain: “Better days will come again.”
The incidence is now increasing in Munich
A high: The incidence in Munich has almost quadrupled during the two weeks of Oktoberfest.
(Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa)
She did what she had to do: the incidence increased. On the last Oktoberfest Friday, the Robert Koch Institute gave an incidence of 792.8 for Munich. That was almost a fourfold increase compared to the Friday before the Oktoberfest began. It was expected that the incidence would increase during the Oktoberfest, and this was already the case at many smaller folk festivals. The proportion of patients in Munich with Covid-19 in intensive care units remained low at around seven percent on the last Sunday of the Oktoberfest. While the tents and rides are now being quickly dismantled, the viruses will not disappear from Munich anytime soon.
The Wiesn medical guard gets a CT
The first CT at the Wiesn should relieve the Munich hospitals and the ambulances.
(Photo: Peter Kneffel/dpa)
New at the Wiesn this year was a mobile CT – a computer tomograph, with which the Wiesn medical station could quickly diagnose. Who has a cerebral hemorrhage and needs to go to the clinic? And who just wobbles because he’s had too much beer? The CT at the Wiesn should relieve ambulances and emergency rooms – which already have a lot to do because of Corona. In the 17 days, 200 patients were examined on the Theresienwiese in the CT – only a very small number had to be taken to the clinic afterwards.
Short-notice belt change in the Bräurosl
The new Bräurosl marquee at the Wiesn wanted to try brass band music – it didn’t work out.
(Photo: Smith/IMAGO)
There was a particularly tough start this year for landlord Peter Reichert, who was allowed to run the new Bräurosl tent for the first time. After only three days, there was such massive criticism on the internet, including of the music in the tent, that those responsible had to react. The band around Kapellmeister Josef Menzl plays boring brass band music, so the accusation, there is no atmosphere. A crisis press conference followed and the band was changed in the evening. “Erwin und die Heckfins”, a cover band that also has a lot of party music in its repertoire, has been playing since day four from 8 p.m.
City allows serving of mulled wine
Mulled wine on the festival grounds: This is rarely the case, but this year it was that time again.
(Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa)
There is a wide variety of alcohol at the Wiesn – only mulled wine requires a special permit from the festival management: Because of the cold and wet weather, they decided to allow sales at the ice cream stands for the second half of the year. The Wiesn boss said: The fact that “Merry Christmas” is now being played, as he has already heard, is exaggerated. By the way, mulled wine was last served at the Oktoberfest in 2008. In the last few days alone, more than 2000 liters were drunk, this year it was only moderately popular. One can only hope that 2023 will be better.