Beer and merriment flow at the 189th Oktoberfest in Munich

MUNICH (AP) — Bridie O’Halloran drank the primary beer of her life at Oktoberfest.

The 19-year-old Australian pronounced it “one of the best I’ve had” after ending roughly 1 / 4 of her liter (33 fluid ounce) mug on Saturday. Sporting a pink dirndl costume she’d purchased only a few hours earlier, O’Halloran was surrounded by tens of 1000’s of different — seemingly extra skilled — beer-drinkers for the primary of 16 days of the 189th Oktoberfest in Munich.

The revelers celebrated Saturday to mark the official opening of the world’s largest folks pageant. Mayor Dieter Reiter began the celebration at midday when he inserted the faucet into the primary beer keg.

Servers instantly started ferrying beers — every carrying as much as 10 glass mugs — throughout the packed tents. Visitors began clinking their mugs and taking deep gulps of beer within the stuffy warmth inside as bands performed conventional Bavarian folks music. However plaques reminded them to not dance on the tables.

The pageant runs by way of Oct. 6 in 18 giant tents protecting the Theresienwiese fairground. About 6 million guests are anticipated over the pageant’s 16 days — as much as 600,000 every day — and might count on to shell out between 13.60 and 15.30 euros ($15.12 to $17.01) for a giant mug of beer. This 12 months’s costs are roughly 3.87% greater than in 2023.

This 12 months additionally consists of stepped-up safety within the wake of a lethal knife assault in Solingen, a metropolis roughly 470 kilometers (292 miles) northwest of Munich. The violence on Aug. 23 left three folks useless and eight extra wounded, and the Islamic State group claimed accountability for the assault, with out citing proof. Consequently, organizers added steel detectors to the safety procedures for the primary time in Oktoberfest’s historical past, however mentioned there have been no concrete threats.

Early Saturday, revelers sprinted by way of the fairgrounds at 9 a.m. as quickly because the entrances opened, regardless of safety officers’ makes an attempt to maintain the procession orderly. They laughed regardless of the morning chill — somebody may very well be heard shrieking “why are we working!” — and raced to get in line once more, however this time to be first contained in the tents and declare their tables.

After a conventional parade and Reiter’s ceremonial keg-tapping, festivalgoers inside and outdoors the tents turned their consideration to beer and meals, with roasted hen, bratwurst and pretzels being among the many hottest. Amusement park rides supplied leisure for younger merrymakers who had journeyed to the fairgrounds with their dad and mom.

Like many others there on Saturday, Mikael Caselitz, 24, was born and raised in Munich and has attended Oktoberfest for years. He mentioned everybody ought to journey to town for the pageant a minimum of as soon as of their lives.

“It might get actually crowded and disgusting when folks puke on the facet of the highway,” he joked, “however total it’s a extremely enjoyable expertise.”

Ollie Standen awoke at 6 a.m. to get in line nicely forward of the midday keg-tapping. The 21-year-old from England is in Munich this 12 months for a college trade program and an area pal advised him he needed to be a part of the festivities. He mentioned he’s wanting ahead to making an attempt completely different German beers that aren’t often present in the UK.

“It’s an incredible German custom and I’m excited to be right here,” he mentioned.

The occasion was skipped in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with COVID-19, however returned in 2022.

The primary Oktoberfest was held on Oct. 17, 1810 to have a good time the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Theresa of Saxony. The venue, a meadow on the sting of Munich on the time, was referred to as “Theresienwiese” to honor the bride. Whereas that identify stays, the beginning date has moved as much as September, when the temperatures in Bavaria are often hotter.