Overview

• Timed to the second weekend of the Wiesn, Markus Söder posted a studio performance of “Sweet Caroline” cut together with scenes from a packed Oktoberfest tent.
• The song was recorded in a studio associated with musician and producer Leslie Mandoki, underscoring the professional production behind the clip.
• Political scientist Jasmin Riedl calls the move a successful PR effort but a tightrope for a minister-president whose party stresses a serious image.
• The post continues Söder’s pattern of performative appearances, from singing at Stockholm’s ABBA Museum in 2024 to a Christmas recording and a recent shanty reprise on Helgoland.
• Public reaction is split, with praise and derision in the comments, and WELT reporting nearly 850,000 Instagram views by Sunday morning.