1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

Oktoberfest officially opens in Munich

September 20, 2014

This year's Oktoberfest is officially underway. Munich's Mayor Dieter Reiter opened the two-week beer festival with the traditional cry of "O'zapft is!"

https://p.dw.com/p/1DGBx
Mayor Dieter Reiter uses a wooden hammer to pound a tap into the first Oktoberfest beer barrel at Schottenhamel beer tent on the opening day of the 2014 Oktoberfest at Theresienwiese on September 20, 2014 in Munich, Germany.
Image: Getty Images

With all eyes on him, it took the recently-elected Mayor Reiter four hits with a wooden hammer to tap the first barrel of beer and ceremonially open Munich's 181st Oktoberfest on Saturday.

"Ozapft is!" he said, employing the traditional phrase which is used to open each Oktoberfest and roughly translates to "It is tapped", before wishing guests a peaceful celebration.

Despite sunny skies in the days leading up to Munich's biggest annual event, there was persistent rain on Saturday morning, as thousands of eager attendees queued to get into the beer tents. Many accessorized their traditional outfits of "dirndl" and "lederhosen" with raincoats and umbrellas.

Due to overcrowding, some tents had to be closed off to new arrivals before the festivities had even officially started.

Oktoberfest, Munich 2014
'Prost!' - Merry Oktoberfest-goers raise a MaßImage: Reuters

An estimated 6 million people from all over the world are expected to attend the beer festival, known locally as the "Weisn", which runs until October 5.

se/ksb (dpa, AP, AFP)