Alcohol Poisoning Incidents at Munich's 2025 Wiesn Festival: 2.9 Cases per Mile Documented after Four Hours
Munich's 190th Oktoberfest Kicks Off with a Buzz
The city of Munich is abuzz with excitement as the 190th Oktoberfest officially begins. Mayor Dieter Reiter, in a traditional opening ceremony, tapped the first Wiesn beer barrel with two blows at 12 noon, marking the start of the festivities.
As early as 6:45 a.m., the anticipation was palpable. Adidas' first dirndl, a unique addition to the traditional Bavarian attire, was almost sold out. The debate on whether it is allowed or not in the festive setting is still divided among the crowd.
By 8:45 a.m., the first visitors were rushing into the tents as the gates opened at 9 a.m. The goal for many was to secure a place and wait until just after 12 p.m., when the free beer flows after the tapping.
The warm weather continued into the late afternoon, with temperatures still hovering around 30 degrees. To cope with the heat, ten drinking water fountains have been set up on the festival grounds, providing free water for the thirsty visitors.
Everything was being prepared for the big moment. The beer kegs were already in place in the tapping box, and Mayor Reiter was gearing up to swing the hammer at noon and tap the first keg.
Entertainer Thomas Gottschalk (75) expressed his indifference towards the traditional attire, stating that he always wears the same thing - a leather breeches.
At 6 p.m., Mayor Reiter shared his hopes to tap the first barrel with just two strikes despite his injured shoulder.
Fast forward to 2025, and it was Mayor Reiter once again who performed the opening ritual of the Oktoberfest in Munich. He tapped the first barrel at the Schottenhamel tent at 12:00 noon on September 20, 2025, declaring 'O'zapft is!'.
The festival grounds were filled with a fantastic folk festival atmosphere, with summer temperatures and clear skies. The first rush to the tents was over, and the Schottenhamel tent was still open at 11:00 a.m., a rare occurrence in the past 15 years.
As the afternoon wore on, there were no more seats left at Löwenbräu, and there was a big crowd at Paulaner, with beer and ham remaining scarce.
A few hours after the tapping, an 18-year-old man from Arizona (USA) was brought to the medical tent with 2.9% alcohol intoxication. The Aicher Ambulance has treated over 280 sick or injured Wiesn visitors so far.
FC Bayern president Herbert Hainer was seen sitting next to Minister-President Markus Söder (CSU) and Mayor Reiter (SPD) in the mayor's box. He revealed he has been going to the Oktoberfest for 50 years and usually prefers the Winzerer Fahndl tent.
The first Wiesn afternoon was ending beautifully, with a clear view from above showing a lot of activity in the streets, tents, and food stalls.
The security personnel opened the gates at 9 a.m., and a rush for places in the tents began. Lines were already forming in front of the Augustiner tent.
Even before the festivities began, it was evident that Munich's private solar panels and balcony power stations could generate enough electricity to power Oktoberfest - twice over.
The traditional procession of the festival tents and breweries was about to begin, with decorated carriages and brewery teams entering the Theresienwiese before the tapping of the first beer.
People were already waiting down to the bottom for entry, and the line went around the corner at the top of the Theresienhöhe.
Clemens Baumgärtner (CSU), the former Oktoberfest chief and current mayoral candidate, tapped the keg in the Fischer-Vroni tent with two strokes.
The first tents - Schottenhamel and Braurosl - reported that they were full less than an hour after the start of serving.
The AZ live blog for the Wiesn tapping has started, with updates throughout the day from the first day of Oktoberfest.
Tension was high in the Schottenhamel tent as the Oktoberfest reporter noted many people standing on benches to get a good view of the kegs.
