Picture-Perfect Start for the 191st Munich Oktoberfest
The weather at the Oktoberfest—which could hardly have been more beautiful—drew crowds to the festival’s opening.
As early as the day before, the first participants had already lined up at the entrances to the Theresienwiese so they could be the first to run onto the festival grounds at nine o’clock. This Munich run, which has been held since 2016, was supposed to run a bit more smoothly this year. However, the start was quite bumpy. To prevent a downhill sprint from the Bavaria statue, signs announced that the entrances there would not open until 9:15 a.m. In fact, that was still earlier than the opening of the main entrance. There, only a small number of visitors were admitted at 9:10 a.m. It wasn’t until after 9:25 a.m. that things really got going. This confirms once again that it’s impossible to predict which entrance you’ll be able to use first. Given the manageable lines after 8:00 a.m., even arriving very early to wait in line seems pointless. Apparently, waiting in line is primarily popular among visitors from abroad.
The parade of the landlords and breweries began a little earlier than planned, as the new mayor paused for a brief moment of remembrance at the Stehle by the main entrance. On the actual anniversary of the 1980 Oktoberfest bombing, he is unable to attend this year due to the city’s bid to host the Olympics.
Last year, too, the first Saturday was relatively quiet. That proved to be the case again this year. Despite the picture-perfect weather, it wasn’t until late afternoon that the festival grounds began to fill up. The festival tents stayed open for a pleasingly long time, but some of the rides could have used a few more riders. Families, in particular, apparently limited themselves to the Oide Wiesn.
This year's traditional costume and riflemen's parade was shorter than in previous years, but that didn't detract from its splendor. You can view our photos by clicking on the image.
Many people consider the first Sunday to be the best day of the festival, not least because of the many participants in the traditional costume parade who then stop by the tents for a bite to eat.
