Oktoberfest began amid sweltering temperatures in the southern German city of Munich on Saturday, with millions of revellers set to attend the world-renowned beer festival.
Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter opened the 190th edition of the festival on the Theresienwiese meadow at midday (1000 GMT).
Reiter opened the taps and exclaimed “O’zapft is,” a Bavarian phrase meaning “It is tapped.”
As is traditional, the first litre-sized beer went to the Bavarian premier. Markus Söder said Oktoberfest is “the best way to combat the world’s crises – simply time out, a little enjoyment of life, recharge your batteries.”
For 16 days until October 5, participants can join in the festivities in the notorious beer tents, ride the ferris wheels and dress up in dirndls and lederhosen.
The traditional event can draw up to 6 million festivalgoers, with a record 7 million joining the fun in 2023. The festival, known locally as the Wiesn, is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world.
Beer not the only thing flowing
The first Oktoberfest weekend of 2025 is being held in record hot weather. The German Weather Service (DWD) reported record-breaking temperatures of 31 degrees Celsius at the Theresienwiese measuring station in the afternoon. Many Wiesn visitors fanned themselves or used umbrellas to shield themselves
Enthusiastic partygoers were queuing at the gates in the early hours of the morning before the first admission at 9 am, eager to get a spot in the festival’s celebrated beer tents, where the first litres of beer started flowing from midday. By early afternoon, some tents were already closed due to overcrowding.
Tougher security this year
Authorities have once again tightened up security this year after a number of public attacks in Germany over the past year.
The ban on knives has been extended from the festival grounds to the surrounding area, while large bags are prohibited and checks are carried out at the gates.
Alcohol and heat keeps emergency workers busy
Emergency services were off to a busy start, with more than 280 patients treated by the afternoon due to the heat.
The youngest patient was reportedly only 11 years old and was brought to a help point by her father with circulatory problems. The oldest patient was 72 years old and had also collapsed due to the warm weather.
Later in the afternoon the festival’s first case of excessive alcohol consumption was brought to the medical station by a transport team.
That honour went to an 18-year-old man from the south-western US state of Arizona, where the legal drinking age is 21. He showed up with a blood alcohol level of 2.9%, which is considered a life-threatening level.
Shortly before the opening of the festival, a 70-year-old woman died in the fairground caravan area, with emergency services unable to resuscitate her.
Ilse Aigner, President of the Bavarian State Parliament, Markus Soeder, Bavarian Minister-President, Rachel Salamander of the Verein Synagoge Reichenbachstrasse e.V., Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Dieter Reiter, Lord Mayor of Munich, take part in a ceremony marking the reopening of the Reichenbachstrasse Synagogue after years of restoration. Sven Hoppe/dpa