It's tapped: Germany's Oktoberfest opens after 2-year hiatus

MUNICH (AP) — The beer is flowing at Munich's world-famous Oktoberfest for the first time since 2019.

With three knocks of a hammer and the traditional cry of “O'zapft is” — “It's tapped” — Mayor Dieter Reiter inserted the tap in the first keg at noon on Saturday, officially opening the festivities after a two-year break forced by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Oktoberfest has typically drawn about 6 million visitors every year to packed festival grounds in Bavaria’s capital, The event did not take place in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with the unpredictable development of COVID-19 infections and restrictions.

Those worries were put aside this year. The city announced in late April that Oktoberfest would go ahead, and Reiter said Saturday that “it was a good decision.”