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2w ago

Oktoberfest Briefly Closes Over Overcrowding as 300,000 Converge on Grounds

Organizers concede early loudspeaker messages were unclear, prompting a review of crowd communication.

Das Oktoberfest findet noch bis 05. Oktober auf der Münchner Theresienwiese statt
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Das Oktoberfest in München ist aktuell eines der am meisten fotografierten Motive weltweit.

Overview

  • Entrances were fully shut for roughly 30 minutes and then reopened in stages, with flows back to normal about an hour later.
  • The crunch was triggered by the 17:00 table-change period, which concentrated movement in narrow thoroughfares on the Theresienwiese.
  • Munich police urged people on X not to come, and U-Bahn trains from the city temporarily skipped the Theresienwiese and nearby stations.
  • Authorities reported no injuries as festival medics treated two panic attacks, and a separate Jules-Verne tower ride fault stranded passengers for about an hour before a safe return.
  • Wiesn chief Christian Scharpf acknowledged the communication lapse and ordered an internal analysis, as officials reported about 3.5 million visitors so far versus 3.6 million by this point in 2024.