Update: Wednesday, 01.10.2025, 15:52 - The Munich Oktoberfest, temporarily closed due to a bomb threat, will reopen at 17:30. Munich’s Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) said in a video posted on Instagram on Wednesday that the police had informed him the festival could safely continue. As a result, the grounds at Theresienwiese, which had been closed earlier today, will reopen. The bomb threat originated from a letter linked to a man who reportedly set fire to a house in Munich-Lerchenau during a family dispute. He is also said to have placed multiple explosive devices. The threat to the Oktoberfest was discovered near the burning house. Police and city authorities initially decided that the festival grounds in the city center should remain closed on Wednesday. The 57-year-old suspect is dead and is believed to have taken his own life.
The grounds of Munich’s Oktoberfest will remain closed on Wednesday, following a fire accompanied by loud noises in a house in the northern part of the city, according to police. Explosive devices were found in the house, and authorities are investigating whether there is any connection to the Theresienwiese festival site, the police said.
Investigations are ongoing in all directions. Following the discovery of the explosives, authorities are also examining potential links to other locations, including the Oktoberfest grounds. It is currently unclear whether there is any specific threat.
Firefighters and police responded early Wednesday morning to the blaze in the Lerchenau district, which is believed to have been triggered by a family dispute. Police deployed a bomb squad as a column of smoke rose in the sky. They said the house had been rigged with explosives and then set on fire.
Near the site of the fire, a severely injured person was found at Lerchenauer See and later died. Bild daily reported that a man was suspected of having caused the explosion and fire in his parents' house before killing himself, and that shots had been fired in the incident, but police did not confirm this. Another individual is reported missing; however, authorities have stated that there is no danger associated with this person.
"Due to a bomb threat in connection with the explosion in northern Munich, Theresienwiese will remain closed until 5:00 pm for the time being," said a statement on the Oktoberfest website.
Local newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the dead suspect has issued a written threat against the Oktoberfest. "Security sweeps are currently underway in the restricted access areas around the festival grounds," police said, adding that all staff there were requested to leave the festival grounds.
Munich mayor Dieter Reiter said in an Instagram video message that "an individual threatened the Oktoberfest, and the police and the coordinating committee unanimously agreed that we cannot take the risk of allowing people to attend the Oktoberfest under these circumstances."
"The police will do everything possible to thoroughly search the entire Oktoberfest grounds by 5:00 pm this afternoon, in order to ensure security.
"If this is not achieved, I will make another announcement, and the Oktoberfest will not be opened today."
The festival, which is held this year from September 20 to October 5, is considered the largest such gathering in the world. It welcomed 6.7 million visitors in 2024.
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