What phrase does the Mayor of Munich shout when tapping the first keg?

When the mayor taps the first keg, the traditional cry is “O’zapft is!”

The Bavarian phrase means “It is tapped!” and formally signals that Oktoberfest’s beer service may begin. The ceremony takes place at noon on the festival’s opening day in the Schottenhamel tent, where the mayor drives the tap into the first keg before announcing the phrase.

The ritual began in 1950, when Munich mayor Thomas Wimmer performed the first official ceremonial tapping. Since then, the number of hammer blows needed to open the keg has become a closely watched piece of festival theatre. Fewer blows are generally treated as a sign of skill, while a messy tapping can become an embarrassing public moment.

“O’zapft is!” is often confused with general German beer toasts such as “Prost!” or “Zum Wohl!” Those expressions are used when drinking, but they do not open Oktoberfest. “Auf geht’s!” is also a common Bavarian-style encouragement, not the official tapping announcement. After the cry, the other tents begin serving, and the festival’s millions of visitors can raise their Maß glasses.