After a two-year break at Corona, Oktoberfest will take place again this year in Munich. The announcement was made by Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) on Friday. Therefore, there should be no access restrictions.
So, on September 17th, the Theresienwiese motto will be “Ozapft is” again for the first time. The festival runs until October 3.
The world’s biggest folk festival before the pandemic attracted around six million visitors. It was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19. In the more than 200-year history of the folk festival, there have been longer pauses only in times of war.
Meanwhile, Corona’s requirements for folk festivals were dropped in the Free State. Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) made it clear that he was convinced that Oktoberfest should take place “at least from a legal point of view”. “I think we should do this,” he said too. However, the decision on whether and how the folkloric festivals take place is made by the respective municipalities. Thus, the ball was in the hands of the capital of São Paulo.
Last year, city officials expressed their confidence that beer could flow freely in the Theresienwiese again this year. Concepts are being developed on how Oktoberfest 2022 can happen and how guests can enjoy it as safely as possible, Reiter said last September. Wiesn boss Clemens Baumgärtner (CSU) made a similar statement.
For a short time it was considered whether the festival could be brought forward due to the increase in the number of infections in the autumn. But that was quickly discarded.
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More recently, after a presentation by the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, the Munich City Council debated live whether it was possible to celebrate with joy in view of the war and the suffering of the people. Oktoberfest owners responded that it would help promote international understanding when people from all over the world peacefully celebrate together. It was also argued that a refusal would be in favor of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin because it would show his power.