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” — the city’s mayor inserted the tap in the first keg at noon on Saturday to open the festivities. Oktoberfest has typically drawn about 6 million visitors every year to packed festival grounds in Bavaria’s capital. But the event didn’t take place in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with the unpredictable development of COVID-19 infections and restrictions. The mayor says he thinks the city made the right decision to allow the festival to take place this year. It runs through Oct. 3.