Royal, civic and national ceremonyEuropeSecular and civic
O'zapft is!
The civic barrel-tapping ceremony that officially launches Munich's Oktoberfest
Held every year in Munich, Germany, this civic ceremony features the city mayor tapping the first festival keg inside a festival tent. The customary shout and a twelve-gun salute give permission for beer service to start across Oktoberfest.
When is O'zapft is! marked?
O'zapft is! is kept as part of Oktoberfest, which runs from 18 September to 3 October 2027.
O'zapft is! is a Bavarian civic ritual that marks the official start of Oktoberfest in Munich. At midday on the opening Saturday, the city mayor taps the inaugural wooden barrel of beer inside the Schottenhamel marquee. Once the keg is pierced and the traditional proclamation is made, a twelve-gun salute signals to all beer tents across the fairgrounds that pouring may commence.
The opening ritual
The celebration begins when the mayor of Munich steps up to broach the inaugural cask of festival brew. As the tap enters the wood, the leader announces in local dialect that the keg is tapped. The speaker promptly adds a traditional wish for a harmonious gathering. Outside, twelve shots ring into the air, acting as a synchronised cue for barkeepers in every marquee on the grounds to begin pouring. Without this signal, no tent is permitted to distribute beer to patrons.
Origins and early years
Mayor Thomas Wimmer inaugurated the tradition in 1950 after visiting an electrical exhibition in the city. Upon reaching the Theresienwiese, he tapped the first barrel before waiting journalists and photographers. An enduring urban tale claimed that Wimmer acted on impulse after missing his horse carriage, but contemporary news reports disproved this story. In the initial two years, Hofbräubier filled the first cask, but organisers switched to Spatenbräu in 1952, which remains the chosen brewery today.
Mayoral duties and milestones
An official regulation adopted in 1964 established that opening the festival is a mandatory civic obligation for Munich's sitting mayor. Hans-Jochen Vogel had previously yielded the privilege back to Wimmer in 1960, only taking over following Wimmer's death. Among Munich's leaders, Christian Ude achieved the record by conducting twenty ceremonies. Another long-serving leader, Georg Kronawitter, completed fifteen. In 1980, Franz Josef Strauß created the custom of serving the very first measure of beer to the state's minister-president.
How O'zapft is! is kept
Crowds gather inside the Schottenhamel marquee on the Theresienwiese grounds. Precisely at midday, the mayor of Munich drives a metal tap into a wooden cask of Spatenbräu beer using a mallet. As soon as the barrel is broached, the mayor shouts 'O'zapft is!' followed by the phrase 'Auf eine friedliche Wiesn' to wish everyone a peaceful festival. A twelve-shot salute is immediately fired outside, alerting innkeepers across all festival tents that they are officially permitted to pour and sell beer. The very first litre stein drawn from the cask is handed to Bavaria's minister-president.
When and where
The barrel-piercing ritual takes place every year at twelve o'clock on the Saturday that directly follows 15 September, marking the official opening moment of the entire festival.
The custom is observed in Munich, Germany, taking place exclusively inside the Schottenhamel beer tent on the Theresienwiese fairground before spreading excitement across the entire festival grounds.
What O'zapft is! means
Driving the tap into the inaugural cask represents civic authority granting collective celebration to commence. The closing wish, asking for a peaceful festival, highlights public harmony and safety. Handing the premier stein to the Bavarian head of government honours the relationship between the city of Munich and the wider state of Bavaria.
Days O'zapft is! is marked
Questions people ask about O'zapft is!
When is O'zapft is! marked?
O'zapft is! is kept as part of Oktoberfest, which runs from 18 September to 3 October 2027.
What does O'zapft is mean?
The Bavarian exclamation translates to 'It is tapped' in standard German, indicating that the first beer barrel has been successfully pierced.
Where and when does the tapping happen?
It takes place in Munich, Germany, inside the Schottenhamel tent on the Theresienwiese meadow at midday on the Saturday following 15 September.
Who receives the first mug of beer?
Since 1980, the very first litre mug drawn from the cask is presented to the minister-president of Bavaria.
What happens right after the barrel is opened?
Twelve gunshots are fired outside to signal that all tents across Oktoberfest may begin serving beer to festival guests.
See also
Olympic torch relayThe ceremonial journey of the flame from Olympia to each host city of the Olympic Games
German Unity DayGermany's national day, marking reunification on 3 October 1990
Victory in Europe DayThe day Nazi Germany's surrender was accepted, marking the end of the war in EuropeLGBTQ History MonthAn annual month of education and remembrance celebrating queer lives and civil rightsGood reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "O'zapft is!", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryParampara rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-06.
More from Germany
All the traditions of Germany
🇬🇷 Olympia, Greece and 1 moreOlympic torch relay
The ceremonial journey of the flame from Olympia to each host city of the Olympic GamesCeremony
🇬🇷 Olympia, Greece and 5 moreOlympic flame
A flame kindled in Greece, carried by torch to light the cauldron of each GamesCeremony
🇰🇵 Pyongyang, North Korea and 4 moreMass games
Disciplined, large-scale gymnastic spectacles celebrating unity and national prideCeremony
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreVictory in Europe Day8 mai 1945
The day Nazi Germany's surrender was accepted, marking the end of the war in EuropeCeremony
The same idea elsewhere
All of this kind
🇺🇸 Philadelphia, United States and 1 moreIndependence Day
The United States' national day of parades, barbecues and fireworks, kept each July 4Ceremony
🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesState of the Union address
The US president's yearly report to Congress and the nation, given in the House chamberCeremony
🇮🇳 Kolkata, IndiaJana Gana Mana
India's national anthem, from a Bengali hymn of 1911, sung at civic occasionsCeremony
🇺🇸 United StatesTalking stick
A carved staff that shows who may speak at a Northwest Coast gatheringCeremony