Around 3.8 million people have visited Oktoberfest in Munich so far, according to an estimate by the festival management released on Sunday at the halfway point of the folk festival in the Bavarian capital. The figure was slightly higher than last year, when around 3.5 million visitors had been recorded by the halfway stage. At the same time, consumption of festival beer fell slightly compared with the previous year, according to the organisers’ interim figures.
Police said they were satisfied with how the event had gone so far. According to figures released on Sunday, officers had been deployed 936 times at the festival grounds and recorded 471 offences and regulatory violations. Police in Munich said both figures represented an increase compared with the same point last year. “Measured against the number of visitors, we are nevertheless satisfied,” they said.
Oktoberfest’s medical service had treated around 4,240 patients by the halfway point, according to its own interim figures. This was seven percent more than at the corresponding point of last year’s Oktoberfest, the Aicher Ambulanz Union said in Munich on Sunday. Only 55 of those patients had to be taken to hospital by emergency medical services.
Overall, the medical service said the festival had so far presented the “usual Wiesn picture”. Around 35 percent, or roughly one third, of all cases involved people suffering from alcohol-related complaints. Another 32 percent, also around one third, involved surgical incidents, including cuts and lacerations, bruises and broken bones.
Oktoberfest is considered the world’s largest folk festival and runs until October 4. As in previous years, significantly more than six million people are expected to attend in total. Beer plays a central role at the Wiesn. This year, a one-litre mug costs up to €15.90. Last year, 6.5 million litres of beer were consumed.
According to the festival management, the event had so far been marked by “the best atmosphere” as well as good weather. The Association of Munich Breweries reported a slight decline in festival beer consumption at the halfway point, with sales down 1.4 percent compared with the previous year. At the same time, sales of non-alcoholic beer increased by 4.5 percent, according to the interim figures. Sales of wheat beer rose by 15 percent, presumably as a result of the summer temperatures.
According to the police’s interim figures, 32 sexual offences had been reported so far. There were no reports of rape among them. There had also been 135 cases of bodily harm, the same number recorded at the halfway point last year. In addition, police registered 35 cases of pickpocketing and 122 drug-related offences. The authorities also recorded 82 aircraft entering the flight-restricted zone around the Oktoberfest. According to the emergency personnel, 74 of them were drones.
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