Thousands lined up early on Saturday in as they waited for the to begin for the 189th time.
Visitors to the attractions faced extra security in the wake of a in western Germany in August.
Although the venue opened at 9 a.m. local time, beer lovers faced a three-hour wait for Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter to officially launch the two-week-long event by inserting a tap into the first keg.
He will hand over the first liter of beer to the state premier Markus Söder, from the conservative Christian Social Union party.
What’s different about this year’s festival?
The celebration lasts until October 6 and is held in 18 large tents across the . This year organizers have beefed up security, including installing metal detectors as part of the lineup for the first time in Oktoberfest’s history.
The new measures come after the stabbing attack in Solingen 23 left three people dead and eight more wounded at a city festival, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility for it.
Those stabbings came after a police officer in the city of Mannheim was killed in early June by an Afghan migrant.
It is understood that there have been no specific threats to the Oktoberfest.
What happens at the Oktoberfest?
About 6 million visitors are expected across the 16 days of the festival, .
They can expect to pay relatively hefty prices for a liter (33 fl oz) of beer, between €13.60 and €15.30 ($15.12 to $17.01) — roughly 3.87% more than in 2023.
The event was put on hold in 2020 and 2021 as authorities dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, but it returned in 2022.
The first Oktoberfest opened on Oct. 17, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Theresa of Saxony, who gave her name to the venue.
rc/ab (AP, dpa)
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