Schwarzenegger directs a band in a beer tent at Munich’s Oktoberfest

BERLIN (AP) — Arnold Schwarzenegger took up the baton at Munich’s Oktoberfest.

The former Republican governor of California spontaneously conducted a live music band and the singing crowd in a beer tent on Friday night — and clearly enjoyed himself. Afterward, the Austrian-born star of “The Terminator,” “Total Recall” and “True Lies” took selfies with the musicians, German news agency dpa reported.

Schwarzenegger, dressed in a traditional Bavarian-style leather jacket, a buttoned-down shirt and jeans, was accompanied by his partner Heather Milligan and his son, Christopher.

Schwarzenegger has visited the world’s largest folk festival in Germany’s southern state of Bavaria and the Marstall tent — one of many at the festival — several times in the past, dpa reported.

He frequently visits Austria and has also been to Bavaria. In 2024, he was stopped for hours by customs at Munich Airport after entering Germany with a luxury watch that was potentially to be auctioned at a charity event.

This year’s Oktoberfest began on Sept. 20 and ends Oct. 5. The world’s largest beer festival usually attracts up to 6 million visitors.

The Associated Press