The parade at the Oktoberfest took place in the rain Photo: AFP
From BZ/dpa
In the cold and rain: According to estimates by the festival management, around 700,000 guests visited the Oktoberfest on the first weekend. That was significantly fewer than at the Wiesn 2019 before the corona pandemic – at that time the number of visitors was around one million.
Wiesn boss Clemens Baumgärtner (CSU) said on Sunday that he was looking forward to a relaxed start. “For the next two weeks we wish that Petrus will remember what decent Wiesn weather looks like.”
The audience on the site was mixed. Among them were many families with children and guests from abroad, for example from the USA and France.
Jugglers move through the city center Photo: dpa
On Saturday, before sunrise, the first people were already waiting at the entrances in order to be at the front of the beer tent when the site was opened. The first tents closed their doors around noon.
According to host spokesman Christian Schottenhamel, a similar number of visitors came to the tents as at the Wiesn 2019. The atmosphere was downright euphoric and people were just happy to be celebrating the Oktoberfest again. The spokesman for the small Wiesn tents, Otto Lindinger, also reported that the audience was getting younger. As always, the Oktoberfest chicken was a hit when it came to food, but meatless dishes were also in demand. The beer flowed with it.
Thomas Müller from FC Bayern Munich and his wife Lisa come to the Oktoberfest in the Käfer tent Photo: dpa
In the drizzle and cold, people were drawn primarily to covered rides such as the Ferris wheel and the ghost train. Roasted almonds and bratwurst sold well on the street. Yvonne Heckl, manager of the museum tent, described the atmosphere at the “Oidn Wiesn” in the south of the site as “chilled and quiet”.
The festival lasts until October 3rd, one day longer, since German Unity Day falls on the Monday after the last Oktoberfest Sunday.