What does Oktoberfest look like after a 2-year-COVID-break? The internet tells

Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival, runs from September 17 to October 3. Here's how it's going so far.

A visitor cheers after finishing a mug of beer during the official opening the world's largest beer festival, the 187th Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 17, 2022. (photo credit: REUTERS/MICHAELA REHLE)
A visitor cheers after finishing a mug of beer during the official opening the world's largest beer festival, the 187th Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, September 17, 2022.
(photo credit: REUTERS/MICHAELA REHLE)

After Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival, was put on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it returned on Saturday to Munich, Germany.

"There will be an unrestricted (festival), which will hopefully give a lot of people a lot of pleasure."

Munich mayor Dieter Reiter

Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter said there would be no COVID-19 restrictions at this year's celebration.

"There will be an unrestricted (festival), which will hopefully give a lot of people a lot of pleasure," he said in April, according to Reuters.

At the time, Reiter said that there was a possibility that Oktoberfest could be canceled for the third year in a row if COVID-19 restrictions were restored.

Fortunately, the event went on without a hitch.

What do people do at Oktoberfest?

Thousands of people wear traditional Bavarian leather trousers called lederhosen at the event, which is typically attended by about 6 million people per year.

Common activities for attendees include eating sausages, pretzel or pork knuckle, listening to oompah bands and, of course, drinking beer.


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The festival of Oktoberfest is hundreds of years old, dating back to 1810 when the future King Ludwig I of Bavaria got married. A festival of some form continued to be held in Munich almost every year since, barring some hiatuses such as in 1813 due to the Napoleonic wars as well as from 1914-1918 due to World War I and 1939-1945 due to World War II. 

Is there Oktoberfest in Israel, Palestinian territories?

The festival is so iconic, in fact, that it has inspired Oktoberfest celebrations in cities throughout the world - even in the Middle East. This even includes the Christian-majority Palestinian village of Taybeh in Israel's West Bank, which since 2005 has always hosted an annual Oktoberfest celebration of their own, barring recent hiatuses. This two-day festival is held at the Taybeh Brewery, considered the first craft microbrewery in the Middle East. However, details about when the 2022 Taybeh Oktoberfest will be held are not yet available.

Oktoberfest runs from September 17 to October 3.