Wiesn 2022: Mayor Reiter announces decision - press conference NOW live

Created: 04/29/2022, 12:22 p.m

By: Catherine Haase

The Oktoberfest has been canceled twice due to corona.

Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter is now announcing whether and under what conditions the Wiesn 2022 will take place.

Update from April 29, 12:10 p.m .:

The press conference with Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) to announce the decision about the Oktoberfest 2022 will start in a few minutes. Despite many signs of a “yes” to the Wiesn, the decision is eagerly awaited.

The big question about possible corona restrictions is still in the room.

In addition, Reiter had stated a few weeks ago that he could not imagine a happy Oktoberfest given the current situation of the war of aggression against Ukraine by Russia.

Update from April 29, 10 a.m.:

While in Munich the announcement by Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) with the decision to hold the Wiesn 2022 is eagerly awaited, the corona incidence in the Free State remains almost constant.

On Friday morning, the RKI reported an incidence of 788 in Bavaria, which roughly corresponds to the level of the previous week (780).

The incidence has not been very meaningful for a long time, since the currently predominant omicron variant has a very mild course and many infected people no longer undergo a PCR test.

Oktoberfest 2022: Söder wants the Wiesn - "Moment of joie de vivre"

In an interview with the

, Prime Minister Markus Söder considers the Oktoberfest to be right and important.

However, the decision rests with the city.

Should an Oktoberfest take place, so Söder, one would probably refrain from any corona measures.

However, the Prime Minister currently sees the problem more in the war in Ukraine than in the pandemic situation.

The decision to hold the festival despite the terrible events is a tightrope walk, according to Söder.

However, one should not deny people this moment of joie de vivre.

Oktoberfest 2022: Mayor Reiter announces the big Wiesn decision today

First report from April 29, 6.40 a.m .: Munich

– The world-famous Oktoberfest on the Theresienwiese in Munich was canceled two years in a row due to the corona pandemic.

This Friday, Munich's Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) wants to announce the eagerly awaited decision on the Oktoberfest 2022.

Hope is high, not only among those who like to visit the Wiesn, but also among the innkeepers and, above all, the showmen.

The latter suffered the worst in the two years without any major folk festivals.

The pandemic drove many into a financial and existence-threatening catastrophe.

Oktoberfest 2022: Mayor Reiter announces decision - Söder wants Oktoberfest without conditions

Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (free voters) had already emphasized in the previous week how important the Wiesn was for the Bavarian economy.

"From the service to the taxi driver, from the hotel to the restaurateurs, we need this festival." The city should therefore finally commit itself to "the most important Bavarian folk festival".

Another complete cancellation of the Oktoberfest seems unlikely.

The voices for a Wiesn 2022 had become louder and louder in the past few days.

Even Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), once a great advocate of the "Team Caution", had made it clear that the Oktoberfest had to take place "at least from a legal point of view".

If it were up to him even without a single Corona edition.

(Our Munich newsletter regularly informs you about all the important stories from the Isar metropolis. )

Will the Oktoberfest take place in 2022?

Dates are already on the homepage of the city of Munich

In the meantime, all corona requirements for folk festivals have been removed in the Free State.

However, the decision as to whether and how folk festivals take place is made by the municipalities.

However, the planned dates for the Oktoberfest are already on the city's website: the start is planned for September 17th, and the festival should last until October 3rd.

The Munich Wiesn landlords are hoping for a high number of visitors this year if the city makes a positive decision.

Over six million people had regularly attended the festival in the years before the pandemic.

"Demand is very good," said Peter Inselkammer, one of the two spokesmen for the Oktoberfest hosts, recently.

High visitor numbers expected at the Oktoberfest 2022 - but it will be expensive for the guests

Oktoberfest boss Clemens Baumgärtner (CSU) may even be expecting more guests than in 2019 - maybe even a record Oktoberfest.

The longing for a carefree folk festival is evident at the Munich Spring Festival, which has just experienced a rush of visitors.

It is already becoming apparent that visitors - when there is a Wiesn - have to dig deeper into their pockets for beer, chicken and co.

Prices are skyrocketing everywhere at the moment.

In the past, the price of a liter of beer rose by around three percent per year.

The city checks the measure price and usually announces it around the beginning of June.

You can find even more current news from Munich and the region at