Oktoberfest opens as crowds race for best beer tent spots
The 191st Oktoberfest runs from September 19 to October 4, 2026, at Munich's TheresienwieseImage: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa/picture allianceAdvertisementCrowds rushed onto the Oktoberfest grounds in the southern German city of Munich shortly after the gates opened on Saturday.
Some visitors ran toward the beer tents to claim the best seats after waiting for several hours. Members of the first group in line said theyΒ had arrived at 7 p.m. on Friday with camping chairs, sleeping bags and emergency blankets.
Organizers briefly held back sections of the crowd at the entrance, allowing people onto the grounds in stages and preventing a more concentrated rush.
Beer cannot be served until the official opening ceremony at midday, when new Munich Mayor Dominik Krause of the environmentalist Greens is due to tap the first keg with the traditional cry of "O'zapft is" β Bavarian dialect for "It is tapped."
Krause, 36, has said he hopes to open the barrel with two or three hammer blows at his first Oktoberfest as mayor.
He will then present the first liter of beer to Bavarian Premier Markus SΓΆder of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU). It will be the first time SΓΆder has received the ceremonial drink from a Green mayor.
Cannon fire will signal that beer may be served throughout the festival grounds.
More than 6 million people are expected to attend the 191st Oktoberfest, which runs for 16 days until October 4.
The festival, known locally as the Wiesn, features beer tents, fairground rides, traditional Bavarian food and live music.
Opening day was expected to bring blue skies and temperatures of up to 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit).
A 1-liter (1.8-pint) beerΒ costs between β¬14.80 and β¬15.90 ($17β$18.27) this year.
The average price has risen by 2.38% compared with last year to β¬15.61.
An analysis found that the average price has almost quintupled since 1985, when a liter of beer cost about 6.25 deutschmarks β equivalent to β¬3.20 at the fixed conversion rate. Consumer prices have risen by about 120% over the same period.
If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google, so you'll always see our verified news first.
