In 2024 theOktoberfest will be held in the Theresienwiese, a park in Munich, Germany, from September 21st to the October 6th. The popular festival takes place every year in the Bavarian city between the end of September and the first days of October. Oktoberfest in Italian literally means “October Festival”, but the celebration begins in September to take advantage of the last days of mild weather. The event includes many attractions, but is considered above all a beer festivalmillions of liters are consumed each year. The origins of the Oktoberfest date back to 1810, when a large party was organized in Munich for the wedding of the crown prince. The celebration soon became an annual event and, over the years, took on an appearance similar to the one we have today. Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest popular festival in the worldwith approximately six million visitors every yearand is an important component of Bavarian cultural identity. In addition, in several countries, including Italy, Oktoberfests inspired by the one in Munich are celebrated.
What is Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest is a large festival that takes place every year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The event lasts 16 days (17 in some years), from the second to last weekend of September to the first of October. It takes place in the area of the city known as Theresienwiese (Teresa’s meadow), inside which there are rides and other attractions. The most characteristic element are the huge stands serving beer and traditional dishes: sauerkraut, sausages, pork knuckle, rotisserie chicken. The larger stands can accommodate up to 10,000 people.
The festival begins with a ceremony “officiated” by the mayor of Munich, who uncorks the first barrel of beer. On average, the Oktoberfest welcomes six million visitors a year. Total beer consumption, which reached eight million liters in 2011, “stopped” at 6.5 million in 2023. The Oktoberfest plays an important role in the cultural identity of Bavarians, who consider it a symbol of their territory.
What kind of beer do you drink at Oktoberfest?
Only the 6 Historic Companies in Monaco are authorized to serve beer at the Oktoberfest: Paulaner, Spaten, Hofbräu, Hacker-Pschorr, Augustiner and Löwenbräu. For the occasion, the six companies produce a special beer, a March (i.e. a slightly darker lager) with a slightly more intense flavour than usual. The drink, known as Oktoberfest beerhas had great commercial success and is also sold on other occasions. The beer is served in the characteristic one-litre mugs, the Masscrowat a cost of 14.50 euros per liter (in 2023). The beer is served by waiters carrying up to 12 mugs at a time.
The Origins of Oktoberfest
The origins of the Oktoberfest date back to the 1810, when Bavaria was still an autonomous kingdom. On the occasion of the wedding between Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese, celebrated on 12 October, numerous events were organised, among which a horse race at the site that now hosts the Oktoberfest. The festival was revived in the following years and gradually took on its current form: the first rides were installed and participants began to take advantage of the occasion to indulge in heavy drinking and feasting. In the mid-nineteenth century, the first ordinances were issued prohibiting producers from other cities from selling beer during the festival.
The festival continued to take place after 1870, when Bavaria was incorporated into the new German Empireand towards the end of the century it took on an appearance more similar to the current one. The duration was extendedincluding the last days of September to take advantage of the favorable climate and electric lighting was brought to the Theresienwiese.
Oktoberfest in the 20th and 21st centuries
The Oktoberfest has “accompanied” all the events of German history. In the years of Nazi dictatorship was used as propaganda by the regime and presented as a celebration of German identity. After the Second World War it became the largest popular festival in the world, but the horse race, which was the oldest event, was excluded from the program. In the 1980 edition, a tragic event: A neo-Nazi fanatic detonated a bomb that killed thirteen people.
In recent years the “dimensions” of the festival have grown further and today the Oktoberfest attracts visitors not only from Germany, but from many other countries, including Italy. The municipality of Munich has introduced some rules to make the party safer and more attractive to families and older people (for example, by limiting the volume of music), as well as to avoid sexual harassment.
Other Oktoberfests in the world and in Italy
The popularity of the Munich Oktoberfest has led to other cities around the world establishing similar festivals events with the same nameinspired by the Bavarian celebration. The largest is Qingdao Oktoberfestin China, which attracts around three million visitors a year. Large Oktoberfests are also held in Kitchener (Canada), Blumenau (Brazil) and Cincinnati (USA). Many festivals were established at the initiative of German immigrants.
Oktoberfest is also held in some German cities other than Munich. The largest festival is the one in Hanoverwhich welcomes 500,000 visitors a year (not counting the Cannstatter Volksfestt of Stuttgart, which attracts more but has origins unrelated to the Bavarian festival). In addition, many beer halls, including some Italian ones, organize events called “Oktoberfest” to attract customers.
