The final preparations, the finishing touches have been completed in Munich. At noon on Saturday, as every year, the mayor Dieter Reiter will give the opening kick for the big one Beer Festivalhitting the first barrel with a wooden mallet. The famous Oktoberfest will last until October 6th, which according to tradition already starts in September and is considered the biggest folk festival in the whole world.

Those who go for the first time have many questions. This year they will have even more. First, there is the issue of security, after what has happened lately in Germany. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, from the Christian Socialist party (CSU), assures that there is no specific information about an imminent danger, but stresses that the authorities remain alert and will consider “any information” that comes to their attention.

In any case, visitors to the ‘Wiesn’, as the event is called in Bavarian dialect, will be screened upon entering the venue.

Beer prices “take off”.

Getting drunk at Oktoberfest is anything but a financial treat. The beer is served in “Maß”, a traditional Bavarian unit of measurement that corresponds to exactly 1.069 liters. Every year the price of Maß increases. This year, for the first time, it will exceed 15 euros. But high prices do not discourage beer lovers. In 2023, with the Maß price approaching 14 euros, a total of 7.4 million liters of beer were made available.

However, significant increases are also expected in food. Last year a portion of sausages cost an average of 9 euros and a pork knuckle in the oven 23 euros. A bold increase of around 15% is expected this year. As the representative of the organization Christian Schottenhamel explains, “a percentage of 12% is due to the increase in VAT on catering (which has returned to pre-pandemic levels from January 2024) and a further 3% to the general increase in the cost of living”.

It should be noted that reservations are no longer accepted, everything is booked early. Theoretically there are of course some exceptions in case of cancellation, but be careful: Internet advertisements, often with a significant “cap” on the price, are considered a “gray zone” and consumer organizations call on interested parties to avoid them, because they may lose their money .

“No” to cannabis

Some may attempt to combine intoxication with other pleasures, within the limits of legality. Is cannabis allowed on Wiesn? Beware, the answer is clear: No, it is not allowed. It may be considered legal to consume cannabis in Germany “for recreational purposes” by federal law from April, but local governments have the right to enact their own restrictive legislation. And this is exactly what is happening in Bavaria.

Traditional clothing is fashionable

Not only in the Oktoberfest area, but also in the whole city of Munich, traditional costumes have their place of honor during the Oktoberfest period, with the first and best being the Dirndl, a female ensemble consisting of a blouse, skirt and apron. Axel Munds, head of Angermaier, which specializes in the genre, informs us that this year “bright colors such as purple, mint green, deep red or ‘royal’ blue are in fashion”, and there is even a Swiftie available -Dirndl, inspired by the new queen of pop, Taylor Swift.

For men, the Bavarian tailors offer short and handmade leather trousers in the color of deer, with a variety of embroidered designs. Preferably in a vintage look.

Edited by: Yiannis Papadimitriou