"Ozapft is!" Munich's mayor opens Oktoberfest
"Auf eine friedliche Wiesn!" (Here's to a peaceful Oktoberfest!) At 12 o'clock sharp, the 191th Munich Oktoberfest will open on September 19, 2026. As is tradition, the Mayor of Munich will tap the first keg of beer at the Oktoberfest.
The Perfect Tapping Ceremony: Tapping the Keg with as Few Strokes as Possible
The tapping of the first beer barrel at Oktoberfest has remained virtually unchanged for nearly 80 years, in keeping with old tradition. The current mayor of Munich makes a sincere effort to open the tap with as few strokes as possible in order to fill the first stein, which, according to old custom, is always served to the current Bavarian Minister-President. The record for the perfect tap stands at two strikes—a title shared by former mayors Christian Ude and Dieter Reiter. Mayor Thomas Wimmer (SPD), who introduced the traditional tap in 1950, needed 17 strikes!
In 1950, the first keg was tapped at the Festhalle Schottenhamel
“Ozapft is!” echoes from the Festhalle Schottenhamel, because that is where the first “official” tapping of the keg took place in 1950. The first mayor to be granted this honor was Thomas Wimmer. The story goes that he rushed to Schottenhamel for the opening because he was running a bit late—after all, he had had to open a trade fair on the Theresienhöhe just before noon. To make matters worse, it was pouring rain on that Saturday in September 1950, which led Mayor Wimmer to take the shortest route to a tent. Whether this is exactly how it happened or whether the whole story is more of a legend is not sufficiently documented. What is certain, however, is that he took the mallet in his hand back then in Schottenhamel. Numerous photographers had already gathered in the tent to capture this historic moment.
Gallery of the tapping
12 gunshots signal the start of the festival
After the successful tapping ceremony, twelve gunshots are fired in front of the Bavaria to signal to the other festival tents at the Oktoberfest: Oktoberfest is officially open and the beer can start flowing! Although the Oktoberfest tents open at 9 am on the first Saturday, beer can only be served in all the tents after the shots have been fired.
See the tapping ceremony live – first hand, on TV or via live stream
If you overslept on the first day of the Wiesn or didn’t manage to get a sought-after reservation for the tapping tent and therefore didn’t get a spot in the beer tent, you can also watch the ceremony on TV. For example, the Bayerischer Rundfunk broadcasts the spectacle live on the first day of the Oktoberfest, and you can also watch online via live stream.
