Oktoberfest 2005

It's that time of year again, when a large number of us congregate for our annual pilgrimage to the Munich Oktoberfest, well about 6 million. It is basically our form of Mecca, where the beer really is king, and you have to be a god to last it! This year should be another unforgettable experience, especially with so many of us having the misfortune to miss last years. As you can imagine it ended up being a wonderous four days of beer swilling... that is between prosting (Iechyd da), and sleepless nights, but unfortunately with very little bavarian nosh to be had in between, as always on these occasions we met so many new friends and old, but cannot remember their names... and that goes for the old too! well who would? so as the chaps would say... let the festivities begin... Eins, Zwei Drei, Vier, Fünf, sechs, sieben, acht... hey hey baby!

194th Oktoberfest 2005

Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world, with an international flavour characteristic of the 21st century with some 6 million visitors from all around the world converging on the Oktoberfest each year, and since the Oktoberfest is still held on the Theresienwiese, the locals now refer to the event simply as the "Wies'n". So "welcome to the Wies'n" means nothing other than "welcome to the home of Oktoberfest"!

Robert & Mick at the Hofbräuhaus

Robert Voyle, Darren Williams, Martin Gwildies and Mick Oakey

The Lion KIng

Schiller... the home of leg ends!

Bright and early

Herzlich Wilkommen... Oktoberfest 2005!

The Oktoberfest or Wies'n all became about way back in 1810 originally as the wedding celebration for the then Crown Prince Ludwig, whom later became King Ludwig I, who married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The fields have been named Theresienwiese ("Theresa's fields") in honour of the Crown Princess ever since, although the locals have since abbreviated the name simply to the "Wies'n".

Horse races in the presence of the Royal Family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest.

Die Festzelt ca.98,000

Schottenhammel
Hippodrom
Hofbräu-Festzelt
Augustiner-Festhalle
Armbrustschützen-Festhalle
Spatenbräu-Festhalle (Ochsenbraterei)
Fischer-Vroni
Hackerbräu-Festhalle
Bräurosl (Pschorrbräu-Festhalle)
Schützen-Festhalle
Löwenbräu-Festhalle
Winzerer Fähndl (Paulaner-Brauerei-Festhalle)
Käfer's Wiesnschänke
Weinzelt

Back to Front

Blurry Vision

Well... just 1 in 6 million!

Noch Ein Bitte!

Close up...

Besser und Besser

Oh boy

Cuties

Prosting! or Iechyd da!

A good stuffing...

Nein sind wir nicht englisch

Deutsch oder Italiener ?

San Paulo

Dindel

The best smile of the weekend!

Fairground Attraction

In 1811 an added feature to the horse races was the first Agricultural Show, designed to boost Bavarian agriculture. The horse races, which were the oldest and - at one time - the most popular event of the festival are no longer held today. But the Agricultural Show is still held every three years during the Oktoberfest on the southern part of the festival grounds. In the first few decades the choice of amusements was sparse. The first carousel and two swings were set up in 1818. Visitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands which grew rapidly in number. In 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries. The remainder of the festival site was taken up by a fun-fair. The range of carousels etc. on offer was already increasing rapidly in the 1870s as the fairground trade continued to grow and develop in Germany.