Tapping of the first keg
The first mayor of Munich taps the first keg in the Schottenhamel tent to inaugurate the Oktoberfest.
10, 9, 8… Around eight thousand incredibly thirsty and wildly excited people count down the final seconds in joyful anticipation until the clock finally strikes twelve. 7, 6, 5… The mayor of Munich takes his time aiming and finally drives the tap into the barrel of the Spaten Brewery with two or three practiced strokes. And then everything happens very quickly. The magic words, the long-awaited “Ozapt is,” ring out; firecrackers signal to the other tents that they can now tap their beer as well; and just a few minutes later, tens of thousands are saved from dying of thirst and find themselves in seventh heaven to the sounds of the Bayerischer Defiliermarsch (Bavarian Parade March).
In 2026, the tapping ceremony will receive special attention, as the newly elected Mayor of Munich, Dominik Krause, takes on this task for the first time.
Curiously, the best-known ritual is one of the most recent
Not too long ago, this spectacle took place in a different way. The best-known Oktoberfest tradition, which is broadcast around the world, is, curiously enough, also the most recent. Although the Oktoberfest had been opening at noon since 1908 with the simultaneous tapping of the first kegs in all the tents, and the celebratory cannon shots—which are still used today—were added in 1913, there were no central opening ceremonies at all until 1950.
Even at Schottenhamel, the bartenders themselves tapped the first kegs. The fact that it was Thomas Wimmer, in his first year as mayor, who took on this role fit perfectly with his down-to-earth nature, which was admired by many. However, the story that he was spontaneously picked up on foot by the then-innkeeper Michael Schottenhamel Jr. in his carriage is a myth that, even decades after its inception, still does not correspond to the truth. After all, Wimmer was apparently not well-practiced at the time. Holding the tap mallet the wrong way, he pounded the tap a full 17 times before he finally managed to open the keg.
In any case, the 1950 opening was already a major event, with photographers and journalists jostling in the tapping booth to cover it. After all, it had been announced in advance. Wimmer Dammerl, as he was also known, actually rushed down the Theresienhöhe just before noon, where he still had to open a mass, only to open the Wiesn shortly thereafter as agreed—thus establishing a ritual that was subsequently adopted at countless festivals throughout Bavaria. Incidentally, the beer in 1950 and 1951 did not come from Spatenbräu. After price negotiations broke down, the Schottenhamel Festhalle bought its beer from Hofbräu at that time.
The opening ceremony as well as the parade are traditionally broadcast by Bavarian Television.
The Tradition of the Mayor Tapping the First Keg Is Carried On
Wimmer served as mayor until 1960. Although the opening of Oktoberfest was already inextricably linked to the ceremonial tapping of the first keg at that time, it was not traditionally performed by the mayor—but rather by Thomas Wimmer himself. He thus continued to serve as the city’s chief bartender until 1963, before passing away the following January. Consequently, a frantic search for a successor began in 1964. Popular actors and singers—or even the Minister-President—were suggested. Hans-Jochen Vogel, the popular but not particularly down-to-earth new mayor of Munich, on the other hand, was only brought into the discussion late and tentatively.
Apparently, some party colleagues feared that Vogel might embarrass himself in front of the assembled global public during this ritual, which—despite its relatively recent origins—was already highly political. However, once it became clear that he was ultimately trusted to learn how to tap the keg, Vogel was finally allowed to follow in Wimmer’s footsteps, and the tradition—that the mayor of Munich opens the Oktoberfest even if his name isn’t Wimmer—was sealed.
One other constant of the festival opening was, however, once again in jeopardy: Christian Ude—who would later become the record-holder for the most taps and was chosen by voters in 1993 to be the tapper (and mayor)—questioned whether this important ceremony had to take place at the Schottenhamel Festhalle every year. Although this question is entirely valid, no change of tent was implemented, thereby confirming the Schottenhamel as the venue for all time.
In the Other Tents
Having celebrities tap the first keg has since fallen out of fashion. If a tent has a tapping ritual, it is usually the landlords who tap a keg on stage. This is the case in the Armbrustschützenzelt, the Hackerzelt, and the Löwenbräuzelt. A special feature of the latter is that the Damischen Ritter, who have a box there, deliver a prologue beforehand. At the Bräurosl, either innkeeper Peter Reichert or a representative of the Paulaner Group taps the keg. At the Hofbräuzelt, the finance minister, who heads the brewery, is usually the one to perform the ritual. At the Schützenzelt, a contest winner selected by Radio Arabella is appointed as the barmaid.