Munich's Oktoberfest was inaugurated today, after being canceled for two years in a row due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The return of the popular festival takes place in a context of rising beer prices: the Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused the prices of raw materials and energy to rise, forcing several breweries to pass these costs on to the price of the drink.
As per tradition, the mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter, kicked off the celebrations by tapping the first keg of beer and offering the first mug to the Bavarian head of state, Markus Söder.
Scheduled until October 3, the festival will take place without any health restrictions or mask requirements.
Oktoberfest normally attracts more than 5 million people, one third of them from abroad, particularly from Asia.
Generally it generates 1.2 billion euros of economic benefits.
The cancellation in 2020 was the first since World War II.
In 1854 and 1873 it did not take place due to cholera epidemics.
The production of hops and beer is a national cult in Germany, especially in Bavaria.
