Munich counts down to the Oktoberfest - but what about 2010?

By Sabine Dobel Aug 30, 2009, 2:08 GMT

Munich - Once again, Munich is gearing up to host the largest public festival in the world as it braces for 6 million visitors between September 19 and October 4.

Construction work is well under way. Organisers hope new attractions such as the high-speed carousel Techno Power will pull in the punters.

But already there is rumour and criticism. Some fear the festival could be hit by swine flu, others are complaining about extortionate booking fees.

And then there is the secrecy surrounding preparations for next year - marking the Oktoberfest's 200th anniversary.

There's a conspiratorial air about plans for 2010. Officials have limited themselves to cryptic statements, such as: 'It's going to be a huge party for everyone involved,' and 'we've decided to make it a big surprise.'

One of the rumours is that next year will see the resurrection of one of the Oktoberfest's oldest traditions: the horse race.

The festival's origins lie in the five-day public celebration in honour of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Theresa of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810.

Five days later on October 17, a horse race was held and the site of the festivities was named Theresienwiese (Theresa's Field) in honour of the bride.

In order to please Munich's inhabitants, the court decided to repeat the festivities the following year - and a tradition began.

Where a race horse could take place today is, however, far from clear. Unlike 200 years ago the Theresienwiese, where the Oktoberfest is held to this day, is no longer a bucolic meadow beyond the city gates but is located in the heart of Munich, and during the festival is densely packed with tents, attractions and stalls.

The last horse race was held in 1938, after which the organisers decided to do away with the tradition for practical reasons.

A working group is working on proposals for the anniversary. Rumour has it that, besides traditional staples such as the music carousel and the flea circus, next year will see other attractions and stalls of bygone years restored.

It's rather less likely that the tents will serve beer at the old prices, though. Prices are set to rise to a historic high - and people wanting to book the best places in the beer tents could be charged up to 65 euros in the form of vouchers.

'That's the equivalent of one meal and five Mass (one-litre mugs) of beer,' says Green city councillor Lydia Dietrich. The city is looking into the voucher scheme over concerns that it encourages excessive eating and drinking.

The very first Oktoberfest 200 years ago was intended to strengthen the community and bolster support for the new royal family in the young kingdom of Bavaria.

To this day, the community spirit is part of the event. For two weeks, politicians of all stripes put aside their differences and share the beer benches, clad in their lederhosen.

But as Italians mingle with Australians, or Bavarians with Prussians, the international nature of the Oktoberfest has provoked fears of an outbreak of swine flu.

It gets very crowded in the tents, and alcohol makes things even cosier.

But the organisers are laid-back: 'We're not worried about the festival,' said Oktoberfest boss Gabriele Weishaeupl.' And Munich's business secretary Dieter Reiter dismissed the swine flu fears: 'We're prepared.'