Lawsuit before the Bavarian Supreme Court could change Oktoberfest approval
Quick Look
- A week before the start of the Munich Oktoberfest, the Bavarian Supreme Court is hearing a lawsuit from landlord Alexander Egger, who is calling for a Europe-wide tender for the large festival tents.
- Currently, mostly local innkeepers receive approval through a points system run by the city of Munich.
- A successful lawsuit could fundamentally change the procurement law for the Oktoberfest.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The approval process for the large Oktoberfest beer tents is currently carried out using a points system from the Munich city administration, which has so far predominantly favored local innkeepers.
Who can earn millions from the Oktoberfest business? Who is allowed to pitch their tent there? Just a week before the start of this year's edition, the future of the Munich Oktoberfest is in court.
The Bavarian Supreme Regional Court is hearing a controversial lawsuit: the dispute is over the question of whether the Munich city administration's approval process for the innkeepers of the coveted large Oktoberfest beer tents is legal. So far, local landlords have generally been awarded the contract - assessed according to a points system.
Do the tents have to be advertised across Europe?
The plaintiff landlord Alexander Egger now wants to ensure that the presumably very lucrative large festival tents must be allocated in accordance with European procurement law. Specifically, Egger has applied for a corresponding test for the famous Schottenhamel tapping tent and the Paulaner festival tent. If the lawsuit is successful, it would mean an EU-wide tender for places - and would probably have an impact on the admission rules as a whole.
Egger had previously run a small tent at the Oktoberfest and applied in vain for a large one.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Bavarian Supreme Court will dismiss the lawsuit partially or completely.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will the court accept the lawsuit and order a Europe-wide tender?
- How would foreign hosts react to opening the procedure?
- What financial impact would a change have on the city of Munich and the innkeepers?
