Record attendance and consumption

The 191st Munich Oktoberfest concluded on Sunday after drawing 7.4 million visitors over its two-week run, surpassing the previous record of 7.2 million set in 2023. By the midpoint after one week, 3.8 million people had visited the Theresienwiese grounds, tracking 300,000 visitors ahead of 2025 and 400,000 ahead of 2023. Attendees consumed 6.7 million litres of beer, representing a 2.7% increase from the 6.5 million litres recorded in 2025. Non-alcoholic beer consumption grew by 10.7%, contributing to an overall 10% increase in non-alcoholic beverage sales across the festival tents. Catering stands reported a turnover increase between 2% and 3%, supported by higher demand for traditional roast chicken alongside vegetarian options. Christian Scharpf, Munich economic affairs director and festival chief, delivered the final assessment on Sunday afternoon.

“The 2026 Wiesn is the most visited in its long history.”

20237.2

20267.4

2023

7.2 million

2026

7.4 million

Data from the article text

Crowd management and medical services

Dominik Krause marked his first Oktoberfest serving as Munich Lord Mayor, citing favourable weather conditions across the festival period.

“Peaceful, relaxed and in good spirits. The 2026 Wiesn was one of the most beautiful of all time.”

City officials stated that an updated security framework, including a centralized command center, video surveillance, and crowd spotting, managed attendance flow without causing critical overcrowding. The traditional Oide Wiesn zone, which recreates the festival atmosphere of a century ago, recorded 447,000 visitors. Medical service teams treated 8,409 patients across the event, representing an increase of 23.2% compared to 2025 and nearly 300 patients more than the previous high during the 2023 festival. The lost property office catalogued 1,050 pieces of clothing, 700 wallets, and 400 mobile phones. Unusual recoveries logged by staff included a dental guard, a set of dentures, a 1.8-metre advertising figurine from a snack booth, and a book on Tibet.

Clothing items1,050

Wallets700

Mobile phones400

Clothing items

1050 items

Wallets

700 items

Mobile phones

400 items

Data from the article text

Fatalities and safety investigations

Workplace accidents at fairground rides resulted in casualties and prompted official investigations. On the final morning, a 47-year-old Romanian employee suffered life-threatening injuries at a swing boat ride and required resuscitation on site. Munich police spokesperson Thomas Schelshorn stated that the worker had entered a restricted zone before being struck by the moving attraction. Kommissariat 13, the municipal police department responsible for occupational accidents, opened an inquiry into the circumstances. On the third day of the festival, a 52-year-old security employee died after becoming trapped beneath the gondola of a free-fall tower. Attendees held a memorial service for the deceased worker during the festival traditional ecumenical gathering, and a 90-year-old female visitor also died following an accident on the grounds.

Shifting trends and visitor origins

Municipal organizers noted that the city has avoided running active promotional advertising campaigns for the event since the 1980s, relying instead on international attention generated by visitors and social media. Local residents from Munich and surrounding Bavarian areas constituted the majority of guests, while the largest foreign contingents arrived from the United States, Italy, and Austria. Souvenir vendors observed shifting purchasing habits, noting a decline in novelty joke hats, including clapping chicken designs, in favor of higher quality traditional Trachten hats. Although bands played the children song "Gute Laune" widely throughout the tents, officials reported that no single track established itself as the exclusive anthem of the 2026 festival. The next Munich Oktoberfest is scheduled to open in 349 days.