While Oktoberfest is now celebrated throughout Europe, and in Asia, the original festival in Munich remains its iconic iteration.
1810
Citizens of Munich are invited to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Festivities are held throughout the whole of Bavaria, culminating in a series of horse races. The decision to repeat the races the following year births an annual tradition.
1811
In addition to the horse races, an agricultural fair is organised in a bid to boost the Bavarian economy. The fair is still held to this day, taking place once every three years. Beer stalls, carousels and other fairground amusements also feature.
1896
To consolidate space, individual beer stands are replaced by larger tents and halls, which are set up by the festival’s hosts with the support of German breweries.
1910
Oktoberfest celebrates its 100th anniversary, marked by the consumption of about 120,000 litres of beer – supposedly a record at that time.
2005
The concept of “quiet Oktoberfest” is introduced, with both young and old attendees in mind. Until 6pm, tents can only play quieter forms of music, limited to 85 decibels, to keep rowdiness in check and preserve the festival’s traditional atmosphere.
2017
The festival continues to grow year on year. The 2017 edition sees a whopping 7.5 million litres of beer being consumed by over 6.2 million revellers – stats that look set to be topped this month.
Singapore Airlines flies to Munich daily. To book a flight, visit singaporeair.com
SEE ALSO: 7 cities in Europe where you can celebrate Oktoberfest
This article was originally published in the October 2018 issue of SilverKris magazine
