MUNICH (AP) — Oktoberfest is open.
Mayor Dieter Reiter officially started Oktoberfest at noon Saturday when he inserted the tap into the first beer keg, signaling the 189th start of the festival. Thousands of beer lovers celebrated in the Munich fairground as the first to clink their mugs during the world’s largest folk festival.
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Waitresses film the opening start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A man with a traditional Bavarian hat is pictured in the sun at start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in front of paintings showing Munich landmarks in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Festival enjoy the first glasses of beer on day one of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A waitress carrying beer mugs in the Hofbraeuhaus beer tent on day one of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Festival goer reach out for the first glasses of beer on day one of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
The Oktoberfest hosts arrive for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
The traditional Oktoberfest music bands parade at the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A visitor in traditional Bavarian clothes and a moustache is seen at the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A man with a traditional Bavarian hat is pictured in the sun at start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in front of paintings showing Munich landmarks in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A Bavarian musician mirror in a tuba at the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Visitors await the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in front of paintings showing Munich landmarks in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
The Oktoberfest hosts arrive for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Visitors secured their place in a beer tent, awaiting the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Beer mugs are prepared in a marquee for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Young visitors await the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Police patrols before the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Waitresses wait for the gate opening before the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A waitress prepares beer mugs in the Augustiner marquee for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday morning, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Visitors wait in the tent of the Hacker-Pschorr brewery the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
People run to enter the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A waitress prepares tables in a marquee for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, early Saturday morning, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Bavarian musicians prepare in the Augustiner marquee for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday morning, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A traditional Ferris wheel waits in front of the moon for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday morning, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Workers stand on a lifting platform during construction work on the Oktoberfest grounds at the main entrance, in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)
Police officer patrol, during a press tour at the Oktoberfest, in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Lennart Preiss/dpa via AP)
A view of the new ride "Laser Pix", during a press tour at the Oktoberfest, in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Lennart Preiss/dpa via AP)
A brass band plays during a press tour at the Oktoberfest, in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Lennart Preiss/dpa via AP)
Servers immediately began ferrying trays — each carrying up to 8 glass mugs — to tables. Revelers started clinking their mugs and taking deep gulps of beer in the stuffy heat of the tent.
The celebration runs through Oct. 6 in 18 large tents covering the Theresienwiese fairground.
This year’s festival includes stepped-up security in the wake of a deadly knife attack in Solingen, a city roughly 470 kilometers (292 miles) northwest of Munich. The violence on Aug. 23 left three people dead and eight more wounded, and the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, without citing evidence. As a result, organizers added metal detectors to the security lineup for the first time in Oktoberfest’s history, but said there were no concrete threats.
Tens of thousands of people lined the streets early Saturday to watch the opening parade as others raced to claim tables inside the tents. They gossiped, played cards and walked around the fairgrounds to check out the food options and amusement park rides to kill time before they could start drinking.
Revelers sprinted through the fairgrounds at 9 a.m. as soon as the entrances opened, despite security officers’ attempts to keep the procession orderly. They laughed despite the morning chill — someone could be heard shrieking “why are we running!” — and raced to get in line again, but this time to be first inside the tents.
Some 6 million visitors are expected over the festival's 16 days — up to 600,000 each day — and can expect to shell out between 13.60 and 15.30 euros ($15.12 to $17.01) for a 1-liter mug of beer (33 fl oz). This year's prices are roughly 3.87% more than in 2023.
Mikael Caselitz, 24, was born and raised in Munich and has attended Oktoberfest for years. He said everyone should travel to Munich for the festival at least once in their lives.
“It can get really crowded and disgusting when people puke on the side of the road,” he joked, “but overall it’s a really fun experience.”
Ollie Standen woke up at 6 a.m. to get in line early for Oktoberfest, where the beer starts flowing at noon. The 21-year-old from England is in Munich this year for a university exchange program and a local friend told him he had to join the festivities. He said he’s looking forward to trying different German beers that aren’t usually found in the United Kingdom.
“It’s a great German tradition and I’m excited to be here,” he said.
The event was skipped in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with COVID-19, but returned in 2022.
The first Oktoberfest was held Oct. 17, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Theresa of Saxony. The venue, a meadow on the edge of Munich at the time, was called “Theresienwiese” to honor the bride. While that name remains, the start date has moved up to September, when the temperatures in Bavaria are usually warmer.
Waitresses film the opening start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A man with a traditional Bavarian hat is pictured in the sun at start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in front of paintings showing Munich landmarks in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Festival enjoy the first glasses of beer on day one of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A waitress carrying beer mugs in the Hofbraeuhaus beer tent on day one of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Festival goer reach out for the first glasses of beer on day one of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
The Oktoberfest hosts arrive for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
The traditional Oktoberfest music bands parade at the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A visitor in traditional Bavarian clothes and a moustache is seen at the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A man with a traditional Bavarian hat is pictured in the sun at start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in front of paintings showing Munich landmarks in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A Bavarian musician mirror in a tuba at the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Visitors await the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in front of paintings showing Munich landmarks in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
The Oktoberfest hosts arrive for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Visitors secured their place in a beer tent, awaiting the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Beer mugs are prepared in a marquee for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Young visitors await the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Police patrols before the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Waitresses wait for the gate opening before the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A waitress prepares beer mugs in the Augustiner marquee for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday morning, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Visitors wait in the tent of the Hacker-Pschorr brewery the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
People run to enter the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A waitress prepares tables in a marquee for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, early Saturday morning, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Bavarian musicians prepare in the Augustiner marquee for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday morning, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
A traditional Ferris wheel waits in front of the moon for the start of the 189th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany, Saturday morning, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Workers stand on a lifting platform during construction work on the Oktoberfest grounds at the main entrance, in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)
Police officer patrol, during a press tour at the Oktoberfest, in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Lennart Preiss/dpa via AP)
A view of the new ride "Laser Pix", during a press tour at the Oktoberfest, in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Lennart Preiss/dpa via AP)
A brass band plays during a press tour at the Oktoberfest, in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Lennart Preiss/dpa via AP)
