The beer is flowing freely and millions of people flock to the Bavarian capital to celebrate the official opening of Oktoberfest. With the traditional call “O’zapft is!” – “It’s tapped!” – Mayor Dieter Reiter put the tap into the first barrel on Saturday afternoon, officially opening the 18-day celebrations, according to the AP. Revelers in traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses flocked to the Munich festival site on Saturday morning, filling the dozens of traditional tents in anticipation of their first two-pint mug of beer.
Minutes before the first keg was tapped, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder asked festival-goers whether they were ready for Oktoberfest to begin, to cheers from the crowd. “I can only say one thing: This is the most beautiful, largest and most important festival in the world,” he said. Oktoberfest typically attracts around 6 million visitors each year. The event was skipped in 2020 and 2021 as authorities struggled with COVID-19, but returned in 2022. A 2-pint cup costs between $13.45 and $15.90 this year, up about 6% from 2022. This year’s Oktoberfest, the 188th edition, runs until October 3rd.
(Read more Oktoberfest stories.)