Goodbye, Oktoberfest The last sunday

In the Bräurosl, OB Reiter turns the lights off

In the Schottenhamel-Festhalle Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter taps the first barrel, in the Pschorr Bräurosl 16 days later at 22:15 he personally turns off the lights. To the sounds of the traditional farewell song "Silencio". But before it's time and the Wiesn is really over (until next year), he thanks the visitors on the music stage.

Stefan Schneider, known as the stadium spokesman for the the soccer team of 1860 Munich, has been present on the last Sunday for many years and loves the Wiesn finale very much: "It is a great honour for a Munich resident to be allowed to moderate this!" Hostess Daniela Heide enthuses about the special atmosphere in the Bräurosl: "We distribute 9000 small LED lights in the shape of hearts, which illuminate the tent when the Lord Mayor has turned off the lights." And when the lights go on again and the Wiesn is over for this year, a colourful shower of confetti awaits the guests. Only 349 days left until the Wiesn 2020!

When the moon is rising in the Ochsenbraterei

In the Ochsenbraterei the guests celebrate the employees on the last evening. The entire "Ochsenbraterei family", that's all 500 people who work in the tent, celebrate together on and in front of the stage. And each trade is thanked in detail. This is the moment for those who have worked for 16 days from morning to evening.

Musically it's also a bit melancholic: the "Feierabendlied" and the "Gefangenenchor" - formerly played by Hermann Haberl himself on the trumpet - are heard.

At the very end it gets dark in the tent, the moon rises, and then the most Bavarian of all dogs, the dachshund, barks, which means as much as: "Everyone come home well, it was good, it stays healthy and we'll see each other next year!

Role reversal and a polonaise in the Schottenhamel

On the first day of Wiesn, the whole world looks into the tapping box of the Schottenhamel-Festhalle. And how does the sweeping sound there work? Of course also very special.

Festwirt Christian Schottenhamel tells: "On the last evening we play the biggest Wiesnhits again in the last half hour. The last song is conducted by Clemens Baumgärtner, the Wiesn boss."

Family Schottenhamel is on stage: "We say goodbye to our guests for 349 days and say a big thank you to the team, the kitchen, the service and everyone who helped that it was a great Wiesn! And at the end, at the song "Weus'd a Herz hast wia a Bergwerk", our guests light 6000 star throwers."

Christian Schottenhamel still has a delicacy for the last evening: "The male waitresses put on the bonnets of the female waitresses and make a polonaise. I do not participate!"

In the Hacker tent: Sparklers sparkle in the Bavarian sky

Optically for many the most beautiful of all Kehraus celebrations on the Wiesn: The sea of lights in the Hacker festival tent. When first only the stars in the darkened tent light up the "Bavarian sky" and then the guests light the 3,000 sparklers and lie in their arms to "Sierra Madre del Sur" ... then festival host Thomas Roiderer himself becomes very melancholic: "This is a great sight, which sweetens this sad moment - that the Wiesn now has an end - a bit."

One last time "Angels" in the Hofbräu festival tent

When the song "Angels" by Robbie Williams sounds in the Hofbräu festival tent under the angel Aloisius, the experienced visitors know: Now it's time to go home. The same goes for the last Wiesn evening. One last time "a lot of love and affection", you can get a bit wistful.

Festwirt Ricky Steinberg says a few words, thanks his staff and of course the guests before the lights go out and the star throwers on. Can it get even more emotional? Yes, that's possible: The Bavarian anthem is played at the very end. The international audience also knows it. And they know where they have to go again next year.

In Kufflers Weinzelt, the boss takes over the mic

Kuffler's Weinzelt is not only exotic when it comes to the drinks menu - even on the last Sunday things are a bit different here than in the beer tents. While the last sparklers burned up there at 22:30, it goes on in the wine tent until 0:30 o'clock. And with a little luck, the guests can admire the boss on stage: "I sing like a bird", promises Stephan Kuffler, the singing Wiesnwirt, who had already given a taste of his skills at the topping-out ceremony shortly before the start of Wiesn.

"I go on stage, thank everyone and sing four songs." By the way: The Kehraus program lasts longer in the wine tent and starts earlier: "At 6:30 pm all the cooks go on stage and rock the tent," reveals Stephan Kuffler.

Star throwers and roses for the guests in the Armbrustschützenzelt

In the Armbrustschützenzelt, the last Wiesn evening is traditional and rather quiet, but no less solemn: "We take a big tour of the tent with the waitresses," says Peter Inselkammer. "Red roses are distributed to the guests as a thank you for their visit and their loyalty."

Here, too, there are sparklers that bathe the tent in a special light, the Bavarian anthem is played and another very emotional piece: "Weus'd a Herz hast wia a Bergwerk" by Rainhard Fendrich. There will be some tears, we promise ...

Löwenbräu: Purple Rain and everbody sings along

Tent hostess Steffi Spendler gets a treacherous glitter in her eyes when she speaks of the "Grande Finale" in the Löwenbräufestzelt: "Our music podium almost collapses, because we are all, really all standing on top." Music is incredibly important in the Löwenbräuzelt, and that's why the last song is also a very special one: Purple Rain is played, "and then we all lie in each other's arms and sing along at the top of our throats, as if there were no more tomorrow".

But there is, fortunately, and only 349 mornings left, then Wiesn 2020 is starting all over again!

Gunnar Jans, Anette Göttlicher