Everyone was eagerly awaiting the number of visitors to this year's Munich Oktoberfest. Now it's clear: this year it was a record Oktoberfest. Over 16 days, 7.4 million people attended Oktoberfest - more than ever before. 447,000 guests came to the Oide Wiesn. There were 360,000 visitors there last year. This makes the 2026 Oktoberfest the most visited in its history.
The weekends were very well attended, with 57 percent more guests coming to the Oktoberfest for Children's Day in the second week than in the previous year.
The majority of visitors still came from Munich itself or the surrounding area. Most international guests traveled from the USA, Italy and Austria.
Record already at half time of the Oktoberfest
After just one week, 3.8 million people had visited the folk festival on Theresienwiese this year - 300,000 more than the year before and even 400,000 more than in the previous record year of 2023. Back then, 7.2 million people came to the Oktoberfest over the entire period. However, due to an extension of the public holiday, the Oktoberfest lasted not just 16 but 18 days.
Food and drink
Oktoberfest 2026 also set a new record for beer consumption. According to the Munich Brewers Association, festival beer consumption rose by 2.7 percent and amounted to around 6.7 million liters. Last year around 6.5 million pints of beer were served. Sales of non-alcoholic drinks increased by ten percent. The sour Radler was particularly popular this year. When it comes to food, the big Oktoberfest innkeepers report an increase of two to three percent. The classic chicken has enjoyed greater popularity again this year after consumption has declined in recent years.
The festival management, showmen and women, market merchants and innkeepers are satisfied with how the festival went.
Gunfire at lunchtime
Traditionally, at exactly twelve o'clock the firecrackers let it rip once again. 60 men and women lined up on the steps below the Bavaria. A lot of white smoke rose with the loud shots. Because instead of bullets, black powder is used. The spectacle was accompanied by brass music. At the end the Bavarian anthem was sung. The Oktoberfest traditionally ends with the firecracker shooting.
Great weather and closed entrances
This year the city of Munich was particularly lucky with the weather. Many bright, late-summer, warm Oktoberfest days offered the best conditions. The crowds flocked to the festival lawn. So many guests came yesterday that the organizer asked them to stay away from Theresienwiese until further notice. Many of the large tents had been closed since lunchtime due to the large number of visitors. The beer gardens were also packed and the entrances to the area had to be temporarily closed.
A similar situation had already occurred on the middle Saturday of the Oktoberfest a week ago. The organizer briefly closed the two main entrances and played announcements in German, English and Italian. The crowd then dispersed. Oktoberfest boss Christian Scharpf was satisfied that the sharpened security concept had worked. “The new security center, improved video surveillance and crowd spotting have made it possible to monitor the flow of visitors even more closely and to take early countermeasures in the event of crowds,” says Scharpf. The newly installed cameras and the AI technology used as well as the optimized communication channels between the organizer, police, fire brigade, emergency services and security services have proven to be important building blocks.
Accident overshadows the last day of the Oktoberfest
Another suspected industrial accident occurred last Sunday. At the “Oidn Wiesn” an employee of a ride was seriously injured. It happened shortly after the festival grounds opened at ten o'clock. According to current information, a 47-year-old employee was hit by a ship's swing. The exact circumstances of the accident are still unclear. A crisis intervention team looked after the witnesses. The swing ship at the Oidn Wiesn was then closed.
It is the second serious suspected industrial accident at the Oktoberfest. On September 21st, an employee of the Hangover freefall tower was hit by a gondola. The man did not survive the accident.
The last day of Oktoberfest remains autumnal
If you want to experience the end of the Oktoberfest, you have to be prepared for autumnal weather. According to the German Weather Service, visitors can expect a change of sun and clouds. There may also be showers and isolated thunderstorms from the afternoon onwards. It won't be more than 22 degrees on the last Sunday of the Oktoberfest. There is also a gentle wind blowing.
Party until curfew
But the partying continues until just before midnight. There is always a special atmosphere at the end, especially in the tents. Shortly before the bar closes, sparklers for the last Oktoberfest songs of the year are distributed.
