Oktoberfest begins in Munich / More than 6 million visitors expected, while beer prices have risen

The Oktoberfest beer festival began on Saturday in Munich, southern Germany, where organizers estimate that more than 6 million people will attend the festival’s 191st edition. The event runs for 16 days, until October 4, at the Theresienwiese grounds.

The city’s new mayor, Dominik Krause of the Greens, officially opened the festival at noon after tapping the first beer keg, in keeping with the “O’zapft is” tradition. The first liter was presented to Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder, marking the first ceremony of its kind for an environmentally minded mayor of Munich.

Beer is more expensive than last year. A liter costs between €14.80 and €15.90, while the average price has reached €15.61, following a 2.38% increase. Visitors do, however, have access to free drinking-water fountains.

Authorities have tightened security measures following last year’s overcrowding incidents. Around 600 police officers will be deployed, while artificial-intelligence-assisted cameras and a monitoring center will track the formation of crowds. Bladed weapons, drones, large bags and cannabis consumption are prohibited.

For the first time, the opening procession will stop at the festival entrance to commemorate the victims of the 1980 attack, in which 12 people were killed and more than 200 injured.