Last Saturday, at exactly 12 noon, Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter slammed the tap into the first keg of beer in the Schottenhamel tent and uttered the words thousands of thirsty people had been waiting for; “O’zapft is!” Oktoberfest 2019 started with a bang. During the first two days the one million visitor mark was broken.
The 186th Oktoberfest, or Wiesn in German, will be celebrated in Munich, at its traditional venue on Theresienwiesen square from 21 September to 6 October. The square is huge in scale, covering 104 hectares, the equivalent of about 145 football pitches. There are 17 large beer tents and a couple of dozen smaller ones. The largest beer tents with terraces can hold almost 10 000 people. If you can’t get your head spinning with a litre mugs of 6% the festbier, there’s also an amusement park.
Oktoberfest atmosphere is captivating
The atmosphere of the festival is a mixture of singing revolution, amusement park, masquerades, dinners and all this rhythmically accompanied by a lavish beer splash. Nearly 500 000 people a day on the move with the same ideas – a completely unique experience. No words or description can convey the energy that flows through the roaring tents.
There are differences in the tents. The Hacker-Festzelt is certainly the most famous. It is the one where the legends begin. You have to arrive at 10am if you want to get in. By 11am, thousands are dancing on the tables. At 12 o’clock, the most enthusiastic ones are carried off to bed.
Other tents, especially during the week, are fairly painless to get a couple of people into and you can find a seat quickly enough. Larger groups need a table reservation.
Oide Wiesn – back to the roots
Not everyone appreciates the current, admittedly very touristy, state of Oktoberfest. In 2010, the organisers opened the Oide Wiesn, or “old Oktoberfest”. Couple of tents at the south of the Theresienwiesen where you can enjoy the historic spirit of the original festival.
A nominal €3 entrance fee will be charged, which will work very effectively to tip off most of the Grazy-Beer-Party tourists.
In the Oide Wiesn tents, old chart hits are replaced by traditional music and bouncing on the table by dance performances. The food is more widely served. Beers are served from traditional clay pots. Female waiters wear long skirts and male waiters straight trousers instead of lederhosen. The atmosphere takes you back 200 years to the time that gave birth to this iconic event – which is today copied throughout the beer world.
www.oktoberfest.de
Last Updated on October 6, 2023 by Flavorado
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