No beer price break for Oktoberfest 2017

Oktoberfest 2017 (locally referred to as the Wiesn) will take place from September 16th till October 3rd. This year, additional safety precautions will be put in place, due to the ongoing threat of terrorism at the festival, and will amount to 5 Million Euros.

In order to finance this sum, Mayor and Wiesn boss Josef Schmid proposed a package of measures to the city council - but was soundly rejected by a majority vote.

One of his suggestions was the introduction of a beer price break, limiting the price for a "Maß" (a litre glass of beer) to 10,70 EUR from 2017 to 2019. He justified his proposal by saying that otherwise the hosts would pass on the extra security costs to the guests. To compensate for the fixed beer prices, he also suggested an additional Wiesn day.

After a heated debate, most of the of the city council members rejected Schmid's request. One of the arguments put forward against it was, that the hosts might add the costs to other drinks or food, which would not be family-friendly. Hosts spokesman Toni Roiderer commented that the beer at the Oktoberfest is not too expensive and the price is justified.

Instead the council agreed on some sort of turnover charge for Wiesn participants who sell alcoholic drinks, and higher stall fees for all the other Oktoberfest businesses. Whether this is going to cover the additional costs is questionable. Statistics show falling visitor numbers, and worringly the consumption of foods and drinks has decreased noticeably in 2016 from previous years.

The Oktoberfest 2017 calendar and more details on the Wiesn can be checked out at www.oktoberfest.de.