Oktoberfest starts after a two-year Corona break

The fear and waiting are over: the world’s largest folk festival has opened. And if you believe the organizers, the Wiesn will be really crowded. Six million visitors are expected by October 3rd. Every fifth visitor comes from abroad, also from overseas. The hotels in Munich and the surrounding area are almost fully booked.

Even if you do not have to pay admission to the Wiesn, a visit is not a cheap pleasure. According to the Munich city administration, each person at the Oktoberfest spends an average of 71 euros. This year, too, the biggest impact will be the increased mass prices, which are on average 15.6 percent more expensive than at the last Oktoberfest.

A liter of Bavarian beer now costs between 12 euros 60 and 13 euros 70, depending on the marquee. The prices for non-alcoholic drinks have also risen sharply: a liter of table water is now available for 9 euros 67 euros instead of 8 euros 87 euros in 2019. For lemonade you have to pay 10 euros 35 euros per liter instead of the last 9 euros 56.

The situation is similar when it comes to eating: The classic, half a chicken, was still available for 13 euros in 2019, now it is 14 to 14.50 euros. A knuckle costs up to 24 euros. The couple of white sausages are already available for 8 euros. The festival will also flush money into the city coffers: the economic value was just under 1.3 billion euros.

Controversial debate about Corona requirements

At the same time, nothing is the same at this year’s Oktoberfest. It has long been discussed whether the Wiesn should take place at all. At the end of April, after much deliberation, Mayor Dieter Reiter gave his yes to an unrestricted Wiesn. There was no legal justification for a rejection, he said at the time. There are no corona requirements. In the festival tents you can bustle and sway like in previous years. This caused a lot of controversy.

It is already foreseeable for riders. The Wiesn will probably trigger a corona wave in the city. The situation in the hospitals is important, and there are no extraordinary burdens there, said the SPD politician. The war in Ukraine is also dampening the party mood, as Reiter openly admits. Kyiv is the sister city of Munich.

Prime Minister Markus Söder announced that he would visit the Wiesn without mouth and nose protection. “Everyone should decide for themselves whether and how they visit the Wiesn. I come without a mask, »he said. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach warns to test before visiting the Oktoberfest.

No patio heaters at the Wiesn

And then there is the energy crisis: chicken grills, festive lighting and amusement rides consume millions of kilowatt hours of electricity and gas within two weeks. Is that appropriate when there are calls for austerity from politicians every day? As a contribution to saving gas, the innkeepers do without patio heaters.

The fascination of the Oktoberfest is also due to the myths and legends that are spun. It all started more than 200 years ago with the marriage of King Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The celebrations took place on a meadow just outside the city gates. Carousels were added from 1818, fun for the whole family. From 1872, the start of the Oktoberfest was brought forward to September to take advantage of the nicer Indian summer weather.

The Oktoberfest has been canceled 26 times in the more than 200 years of its history – mainly during the times of the First and Second World Wars. From 1949 the Oktoberfest took place again and got bigger every year.