Oktoberfest

A 'Bitter Pill': Oktoberfest Canceled Due To Coronavirus

6:58pm April 21, 2020

by H.J. Mai

"You can't host a folk festival in a time like this," said Munich's mayor. Officials said it was a tough decision but they saw no other choice. Some 6 million people attend the festival every year.

Doctors have known for a long time that alcohol consumption can cause heart problems. Researchers in Germany used the Oktoberfest beer festival to link binge drinking to abnormal heart rhythms.

Binge Drinkers Beware: Study Finds Link Between Alcohol And Heart Arrhythmias

5:19am April 26, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Researchers tested more than 3,000 people at Munich's Oktoberfest beer festival. They found getting drunk was associated with abnormal heart rhythms.

Munich's Mayor Dieter Reiter uses a wooden hammer to pound a tap into the first Oktoberfest beer barrel. "It is not most important mayoral job, but it is the most watched," says Christoph Deumling.

World News

Munich Mayor Survives Key Political Test: Tapping The First Keg

1:13am September 28, 2014

by Tom Dreisbach

Every year at Oktoberfest, the mayor of Munich, Germany, faces a public challenge — driving a tap into the ceremonial first beer barrel. Expectations were especially high for new mayor Dieter Reiter.

Queue Listen Now

Men and women in their traditional Bavarian clothing enjoy the atmosphere at the Augustiner Beer tent after the Parade of Costumes and Riflemen (Trachten- und Schuetzenzug) in Munich. The 181st Oktoberfest will be open to the public from September 20 thro

World News

For Oktoberfest-Goers In Munich, A Parade And A Party

1:46pm September 21, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Munich kicked off this year's Oktoberfest Saturday, beginning festivities in which the city expects to host 6 million visitors. For the first time, beer prices are above 10 euros per liter.