Oktoberfest has drawn to a close for another year and the figures are in: visitors drank seven million litres of German beer, lost 700 wallets and attempted to steal 98.000 Maßkrüge.
Oktoberfest’s 6,7 million visitors have headed home and peace has fallen on the Wiesn once again. Compared to 2023, organisers have said the 16-day festival was more peaceful and relaxed.
This year’s guests drank a total of 7 million Maß (one-litre glasses) of beer compared to visitors at last year’s festival, which was two days longer, who consumed 7,4 million litres. But they were hungrier - in 2024, 9 percent more traditional food was eaten on the Wiesn than in 2023, with the Bavarian Hendl (half chicken) remaining the favourite dish.
Reluctant to leave the fun behind, 98.000 visitors were caught by security staff attempting to take home a Maßkrug (one-litre beer glass), but overall, bad behaviour was down. Police in Munich reported a 25 percent drop in criminal offences compared to the 2023 festival.
While preparations for this year's festival saw a 20-year-old employee hit and killed by the famous Olympia Looping rollercoaster, accidents were also down overall. Paramedics on site saw a 29 percent reduction in medical emergencies compared to 2023.
With the Maßbier flowing and the inhibitions diluted, many guests were unlucky enough to misplace treasured and important items.
Over the course of the festival, five wedding rings were handed in to lost and found, with three having since been returned. 16 pairs of Lederhosen, “various pairs of women's shoes”, one pair of handcuffs and a dental retainer were among the other curious items logged lost.
Luckily, no Sophias, Emilias or Noahs made it onto the lost and found list. Organisers announced that the 2024 festival saw no cases of lost young children, with stewards sending inebriated parents with young children to the youth support tent to sober up.
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