WITH a cry of “ O zapft is” (a Bavarian expression meaning “it is tapped”) mayor Dieter Reiter tapped the first keg of this year’s Oktoberfest festivities in the Bavarian capital of Munich, where 6.4 million revellers are expected over the next 16 days.
The annual beer festival’s tents were packed well before lunchtime on Saturday as thousands of locals and tourists took part in a tradition that has taken place in some form ever since 1810, and has inspired imitations the world over.
Sellers of traditional lederhosen and dirndls did a roaring trade in the lead-up with a majority of first-day festivalgoers looking the part.
The thousands who managed to gain entry on the opening day were undeterred by an average 2.58 percent hike in the price of beer that this year exceeds the e10 (R140) mark in some halls.
In seven of the festival’s main tents in its heartland in Munich, punters will part with at least e10.10 for a litre of beer in a glass, of which two out of three will not be filled properly, according to an official on duty last year.
The annual festival brings hundreds of millions to the local economy, with about £252 million (R4.5 billion) flowing at the venues themselves, while hotels and hostels get a boost of more than £230m for their hugely inflated room rates. – Daily Mail