Munich's Oktoberfest Is Back for the First Time in 2 Years — What to Know
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Munich is saying prost to Oktoberfest as the city plans to welcome back its famous festival this fall for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.
The 187th Oktoberfest will take place from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3 without any pandemic-era restrictions after Munich's Mayor Dieter Reiter gave the go ahead, according to the official website for the Munich Oktoberfest. Reiter took into account both the pandemic and the Russian war in Ukraine in his decision.
"Ultimately, it's up to everyone to decide for themselves anyway whether and how much they want to celebrate at the Volksfest," Reiter said in a statement, adding, "I'm looking forward to a Oktoberfest 2022 that I hope everyone who wants to go will enjoy."
This is the first time Oktoberfest will be officially celebrated in two years since the festivities were canceled both last year and in 2020. In past years, the Oktoberfest celebrations have drawn as many as six million visitors.
"All [Oktoberfest] fans are happy today. I personally am also very happy," Munich's Economic Officer and Head of Oktoberfest Clemens Baumgärtner said in a statement. "I believe that we will experience a mega [Oktoberfest] 2022."
Oktoberfest was first held in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese, according to The Associated Press, and has actually been canceled dozens of times in the past 200-plus years.
The 2022 festival will officially kick off with the traditional tapping of the first beer barrel in the Schottenhamel tent at noon on Sept. 17. This year, visitors will also be able to once again ride historical rides at the Oide Wiesn, which was initially intended to be a one-off event in 2010 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest, but proved so popular it became a tradition in itself.
Currently, Germany welcomes travelers from the United States, but requires all visitors 12 and older to be fully vaccinated, according to the German Missions in the United States. Germany requires anyone who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine to have two shots to be considered fully vaccinated.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
