Overview

• Munich temporarily closed the Theresienwiese on Saturday due to overfilling, with about 300,000 people on the grounds at once, according to city figures.
• Attendees reported standstill conditions near tents and described fears of a mass panic, but the situation was defused without reports of mass casualties.
• LMU psychotherapist Simone Sachenbacher advises reframing anxious thoughts, paced breathing (four seconds in, six out), grounding with fixed visual points, and small movements to reduce panic.
• To support others, she recommends validating feelings, maintaining eye contact, breathing together, projecting calm, and giving clear, simple instructions.
• Crisis expert Prof. Henning Goetz Goersch highlights compressive asphyxia as the main danger in crushes and urges leaving early as density rises, knowing exits, avoiding bottlenecks, protecting the torso, moving with the flow, and using tools like the Oide Wiesn and visit barometer to avoid peak crowds; coverage also notes a near-concurrent fatal crowd incident in southern India with at least 40 deaths.