The beer is flowing and millions of people descending on the Bavarian capital to celebrate the official opening of Oktoberfest.
With the traditional cry of "O'zapft is" -- "It's tapped" -- Mayor Dieter Reiter inserted the tap in the first keg at noon on Saturday, officially opening the 18-day festivities.
Revellers decked out in traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses trooped to Munich's festival grounds Saturday morning, filling the dozens of traditional tents in anticipation of getting their first 1-liter (2-pint) mug of beer.
Minutes before the first keg was tapped, to cheers from the crowd, Bavarian Gov. Markus Soeder asked festivalgoers if they were ready for Oktoberfest to begin.
"I can only say one thing: This is the most beautiful, biggest, most important festival in the world," he said.
The Oktoberfest has typically drawn about 6 million visitors every year. The event was skipped in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with COVID-19, but returned in 2022.
A 1-liter mug costs between 12.60 euros and 14.90 euros (US$13.45 to US$15.90) this year, an increase of around 6per cent from last year.
This year's Oktoberfest, the 188th edition, runs through Oct. 3.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston, as well as the company's new chief executive, pushed back on what they called 'misguided criticism' of the grocer as a boycott against the company gains steam online.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault has called on the police to dismantle the pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the lower field of McGill University's downtown campus in Montreal.
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
Canada's financial intelligence agency says it has levied a $9.2-million penalty against The Toronto-Dominion Bank for non-compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing measures as the bank also faces compliance investigations in the U.S.
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of U.S. dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
A heavy police presence was at McGill University on Thursday morning, as counter-protesters assembled opposite the pro-Palestinian encampment at the school.
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of U.S. dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
London Drugs stores in Western Canada remained closed Thursday morning due to a "cybersecurity incident," marking the fifth straight day of closures.
Police say a fourth teenager has been charged in connection with the death of a student in Halifax last week.
Gangs in Haiti laid siege to several neighbourhoods in Port-au-Prince, burning homes and exchanging gunfire with police for hours as hundreds fled the violence early Thursday in one of the biggest attacks since Haiti's new prime minister was announced.
Hamas said Thursday that it was sending a delegation to Egypt for further ceasefire talks, in a new sign of progress in attempts by international mediators to hammer out an agreement between Israel and the militant group to end the war in Gaza.
Police have arrested more than 2,000 people during pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the United States in recent weeks, according to an Associated Press tally Thursday.
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
Authorities said they have recovered the body of a fifth person who was missing after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge more than a month ago.
Halle Berry is joining a group of bipartisan senators to push for legislation that would put US$275 million toward research and education around menopause, the significant hormone shift women go through in middle age.
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
On Friday, Canadians may get long-awaited answers about the integrity of the country's last two elections, which was thrown into question last year as reports of attempted foreign interference came to light. Here's what we learned.
Veterans Affairs staff found themselves working over the Easter weekend, trying to explain why one of the department's social media posts didn't actually mention the holiday.
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of U.S. dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
Halle Berry is joining a group of bipartisan senators to push for legislation that would put US$275 million toward research and education around menopause, the significant hormone shift women go through in middle age.
Nearly a month after the total solar eclipse, at least 160 cases of eye damage have been reported across the country.
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
In a first-of-its-kind case, a B.C. tribunal has ruled on a dispute involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, awarding damages and issuing orders that the photos be destroyed and taken offline.
The farcical Celine Dion jukebox musical 'Titanique' is setting its course for Canada.
Guitarist Duane Eddy, best known for twangy riffs on hits such as 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Cannonball,' has died at the age of 86.
Less than a week after reaching a court settlement with her father, Britney Spears has reached one with her soon-to-be-ex-husband.
Investors considering where to park their money have a choice: go with a traditional financial adviser or trust in an algorithm. Here are the pros and cons of both.
Frustration over BCE Inc.'s 4,800 job cuts earlier this year spilled over at the company's annual general meeting on Thursday, as investors and employees questioned executives on their compensation during a period of belt-tightening for staff.
Canadian airlines have enjoyed a two-year boom amid consumer hunger for post-pandemic travel. But as that pent-up demand recedes, the country's largest carrier hopes to ramp up ticket sales to corporate customers instead.
Nathaly Paola Castro Torres has a rare disorder called Laron syndrome that is caused by a genetic mutation. It stunts her growth but also provides a hidden silver lining: Her body is protected from chronic diseases such as cancer that often take life away long before old age.
In an effort to balance the profitability of Mother's Day with the pain it causes some people, some brands are offering customers the choice to opt out of Mother's Day email advertising.
The vacation destination rental company announced a new category of 'Icons,' a collection of 'extraordinary experiences hosted by the greatest names in music, film, television, art, sports, and more.'
Auston Matthews will miss the Maple Leafs' must-win Game 6 against the Boston Bruins.
Canadian baseball player Tyler Black made a major splash in his first-ever big league game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Instead of competing under the Olympic flag, the refugees have their own emblem featuring a heart at its centre, surrounded by arrows symbolizing how lost refugees can find their way back.
Drivers in Saskatchewan will now lose their licence for a week and their vehicle for a month if they are caught committing certain high-speed and dangerous offences on the road.
Auto sales last month totalled 164,000 units, higher than April 2023, which was the weakest month for sales last year.
Rolls-Royce is vastly expanding its factory in Chichester, England. The BMW subsidiary is adding five new buildings with construction planned to start next year.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
B.C. has launched its previously announced secondary suite incentive program, with eligible homeowners able to receive thousands of dollars in forgivable loans to construct a rental unit.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
London Drugs stores in Western Canada remained closed Thursday morning due to a "cybersecurity incident," marking the fifth straight day of closures.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Auston Matthews will miss the Maple Leafs' must-win Game 6 against the Boston Bruins.
A synagogue in North York was badly damaged in a two-alarm fire Thursday morning that left one person injured, and officials are working to determine the cause of the blaze.
In an effort to revitalize itself, Fort Calgary is changing its name and logo to reflect more of the history of the location where it sits.
Calgary police have laid dozens of charges in an operation aimed at addressing ongoing safety concerns at local CTrain stations.
Calgary's five most expensive residential homes for sale as of May. 2, 2024.
Ottawa paramedics say a teenage male was taken to hospital in critical condition following a stabbing that happened in Nepean Thursday.
Former Ottawa city councillor Diane Deans is in palliative care after a five-year battle with ovarian cancer, according to Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Jessica Bradley.
The Ottawa Police Arson Unit says the fire at an Overbrook apartment building that sent two children and a woman to hospital in critical condition Thursday morning has been deemed suspicious.
A heavy police presence was at McGill University on Thursday morning, as counter-protesters assembled opposite the pro-Palestinian encampment at the school.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault has called on the police to dismantle the pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the lower field of McGill University's downtown campus in Montreal.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
RCMP are looking for additional victims after an Edmonton man allegedly used Snapchat to lure and sexually assault a youth.
The Alberta government is making changes to a bill that would give cabinet unfettered power to fire mayors and councillors and overturn bylaws.
Government and Alberta Wildfire officials thanked Mother Nature for the recent rain in their weekly update Thursday, but noted it wasn't enough to undo months of drought in the driest parts of the province.
Police say a fourth teenager has been charged in connection with the death of a student in Halifax last week.
The mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality says she will not re-offer in October’s municipal election.
Two more women have filed lawsuits alleging they were sexually assaulted by an on-duty member of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary who offered them rides home from a night of drinking in downtown St. John's.
An employee at a St. Matthews-area grocery store has been suspended and police are investigating after a confrontation with a customer over the weekend.
The Osborne Village Starbucks is set to close temporarily next week.
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service says a cost savings directive poses a safety risk.
The opposition NDP are calling on the Saskatchewan government to publicly oppose a potential merger of agriculture giants Viterra and Bunge.
A signature carbon capture and storage project in Saskatchewan continues to miss emissions reduction goals, raising questions about the cost-effectiveness of the technology, according to a report.
Saskatchewan and Alberta have agreed to share and swap information about nuclear power generation.
Be prepared to provide a breath sample if you’re stopped by OPP on a Waterloo Region highway.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
A Guelph high school was briefly placed in hold and secure Thursday for a police investigation.
Saskatoon police are investigating an assault on a city bus after an 18-year-old man was stabbed on Wednesday afternoon.
A Saskatchewan family won the bovine lottery after their cow gave birth to a rare set of quadruplets.
Saskatoon police are asking for the public’s help in investigating a serious assault that occurred on April 24 near a gas station in the 300 block of Confederation Drive.
An intoxicated man wearing only his underwear and a lifejacket had to be pulled from the Thessalon River early Wednesday evening.
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Detectives with Sault police, including members of the forensic identification unit, executed a search warrant Thursday inside a residence on Boundary Road.
London Knights forward Easton Cowan has been named the Red Tilson Trophy winner as the OHL's Most Outstanding Player.
One person has died following a crash in North Perth late Wednesday night. Around 11:30 p.m. first responders were called to Line 72, east of Perth Road 158 for a passenger vehicle and an off-road vehicle had collided.
The London Children’s Museum is a step closer to welcoming children to its new location at 100 Kellogg Lane. The museum received a grant Thursday to help cover the cost of a new meeting space at its future site.
Police in Barrie charged one man with attempted murder after an alleged assault sent one individual to a trauma centre with life-threatening injuries on Tuesday.
Publicized as a "spellbinding experience," performers from the French-based Cirque De Paris have been left scrambling for a temporary building permit approval.
An animal adoption centre in Collingwood is urgently in need of foster homes and volunteers following a large influx of dogs.
A truck driver has been convicted of importing $29 million in methamphetamine across the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor.
There are very few details available but the house, painted like a rainbow, on Ouellette Avenue has ben destroyed by fire.
Housing market activity is heating up, according to the latest report from the Windsor-Essex County Association of Realtors.
A food security program delivering meals to seniors on a low income or facing health challenges could soon end in Greater Victoria if funding doesn’t come through.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
When Debbie Austen was walking along the ocean last year and spotted a young elephant seal playing in the water, she never would have imagined it was the start of an enduring relationship.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Volunteers with ‘The Watch’ program in Lethbridge have been patrolling the city centre rain or shine for five years.
A Transportation Safety Board report says experience, recent training and safety equipment were key factors in a pilot surviving the crash of a firefighting plane south of Cranbrook in August 2022.
Facing a Tuesday night elimination game, Caelan Fitzpatrick responded with a hat trick to lead the Brooks Bandits past the Okotoks Oilers 5-1.
An intoxicated man wearing only his underwear and a lifejacket had to be pulled from the Thessalon River early Wednesday evening.
A 54-year-old suspect has been charged after Ontario Provincial Police capped a three-month investigation with a raid of a residence in Schreiber, Ont.
Social services in the north are bracing for deep funding cuts to homelessness services and Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus is calling on the federal government to explain why it is scaling back at a time when the north is facing a social disaster.
Richard Martin is spending this year's fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature.
Tributes continue to pour in for Bob Cole as his family has confirmed a funeral will be held for the legendary broadcaster Friday in St. John's, N.L.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
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