The Oktoberfest is canceled – but the people of Munich don’t let the mood spoil. In traditional costume, they celebrated the canceled Oktoberfest start in restaurants or with a picnic basket on the Theresienwiese.
Munich – clear blue sky, people in traditional costumes on the way to Theresienwiese – it would have been a picture-perfect start for the Oktoberfest. For the second time, the world’s largest folk festival has been canceled due to the corona pandemic – nevertheless, it was said “Ozapft is” in Munich on Saturday.
Beer kegs were pierced in inns for the originally planned Oktoberfest start at 12 noon. On the Theresienwiese, folk festival fans gathered with a snack basket and beer they had brought with them and toasted each other at 12 noon.
Environmentalists celebrated a “Wiesn entry of the climate heroes” – instead of the Oktoberfest hosts. A group of Greens also campaigned for climate protection. The time without the Oktoberfest was good for Theresienwiese. Finally it is a real meadow again and not just gravel.
Numerous tapping rituals
Normally, the incumbent mayor of Munich would have opened the world’s largest festival with the tapping ritual on Saturday. Now the master brewer, sometimes the landlord, sometimes a pastor and sometimes a playmate swung the mallet in restaurants. A minister was also there. While Bavaria’s Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich (CSU) needed two blows in the Augustiner Klosterwirt, the Wiesn playmate 2021, Vanessa Teske (26), had to strike twelve times before the beer flowed a few steps further in the Hofbräuhaus.
The former mayor of Munich and former tap king Christian Ude (SPD) tapped the Schiller Bräu with two strokes as in the old days – he was the first mayor to do so in 2005 with the 200-liter keg at the Oktoberfest. Last year Ude wasn’t in that good shape and needed a couple more punches. “At my age you no longer ask how many strokes he needs, but how many more strokes he can manage,” joked the 73-year-old.
“The Wiesn is a deep feeling for life,” said Gregor Lemke, spokesman for the Munich city center innkeepers, at the start of the Wirtshauswiesn. In the restaurants, but also on the Theresienwiese, dirndls and lederhosen prevailed. Michael and Maximilian positioned themselves on the steps to the Bavaria, for “tapping” they opened a five-liter barrel and toasted each other. “We can do it.” It was early in the day.
Andrea and Hector moved to the festival area with their sons and a beer bench. In the luggage: beer, pretzels and obazda. They came “because we miss the Oktoberfest,” says Andrea. Other groups made themselves comfortable on blankets with snacks on the premises.
In contrast to the previous year, there was no alcohol ban on the Theresienweise. The area is a public green area, said economics officer and Wiesn boss Clemens Baumgärtner (CSU) in advance. “Everyone can use them as they want within the framework of the regulations. Beer can also be drunk on the Theresienwiese. “
Look to next year
Next year, beer should flow freely again: Munich wants to celebrate another Oktoberfest in 2022. According to Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) and Baumgärtner, plans are currently underway. Concepts would be developed, “how the Oktoberfest 2022 can take place and the visitors can have fun as safely as possible,” said Reiter of the German Press Agency.
In the “Augsburger Allgemeine” he announced that he wanted to decide on the Oktoberfest 2022 “by April next year at the latest”. “In any case, I would like to see two Oktoberfest cancellations during my term of office.”
For the time being, in addition to Oktoberfest beer and Wirthauswiesn, virtual Oktoberfest tours should keep fans interested. People can not only celebrate virtually at smaller folk festivals – there has been an autumn festival in Straubing since Friday, and in Bayreuth the “autumn fun” started with rides. dpa
