Another milestone has been reached at Oktoberfest. For the first time ever, some beers have been priced above €15. The city of Munich announced the drastic price hikes just 11 weeks before the event started. A large pint of beer at Oktoberfest this year will cost between €13.60 and €15.30. This means that the price of festival beer will rise by an average of 3.9 percent, breaking the €15 barrier for the first time. Last year, the price of a litre of festival beer was between €12.60 and €14.90. As the organiser of Oktoberfest, the city is checking that the prices charged by caterers are reasonable. Beer prices have roughly doubled since 2004: 20 years ago, a pint of beer cost on average between €6.70 and €7.10.
There are several reasons for the increased prices, such as increased labour costs, electricity costs, and the cost of erecting and dismantling tents. Increasing bureaucratic requirements also have a major impact in this area (increasing requirements and documentation obligations).
Non-alcoholic beverages will also be more expensive at Oktoberfest this year: a litre of water will cost €10.48 on average, and lemonade €11.67. However, you will be able to fill your bottle for free, with 10 water fountains available.
The event is expected to attract around 6 million visitors by the 6th of October. Last year, 7.2 million visitors came in the best weather and drank 6.5 million litres of beer (stern.de).