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Söder Posts Studio ‘Sweet Caroline’ for Oktoberfest, Drawing Mixed Reactions

The clip blends studio vocals with Wiesn scenes to reinforce his folksy persona.

Overview

  • Published on the second Wiesn weekend, the video shows the Bavarian leader at a studio mic with text framing the festival as pure joie de vivre and a welcome break from global crises.
  • The recording is credited to producer Leslie Mandoki, and the edited cut juxtaposes studio shots with tent crowds, which some outlets note can feel like a live performance.
  • Engagement was strong, with one report citing nearly 850,000 Instagram views by Sunday morning and another noting roughly 25,000 likes.
  • Audience responses ranged from praise such as calls to put the track on Spotify to criticism labeling the stunt embarrassing or questioning whether a minister-president should do this.
  • Political scientist Jasmin Riedl calls it effective PR yet a risky tightrope for a party and state leader, and the move fits Söder’s ongoing staged persona-building that has included ABBA, a Christmas song and TV appearances.