Wiesn for everyone – the mid-term review of Oktoberfest 2025

A celebration for all generations and lifestyles

According to estimates by the festival organizers, 3.5 million guests (2024: 3.6 million) will visit the Theresienwiese by Sunday. Of these, an estimated 230,000 visitors will visit the Oide Wiesn. Due to weather conditions, beer sales at the halfway point are slightly below last year's level.

A colorful mix of visitors

The Wiesn is a festival for all generations and lifestyles – as evidenced by the many families who enthusiastically take advantage of the special children's offerings from restaurateurs and showmen. On Children's Day, parents and children even braved the inclement weather and ventured out for a stroll around the festival grounds. During the quieter days of the week, numerous kindergartens visit the Wiesn with their groups and discover the colorful hustle and bustle together. The scavenger hunt at the Oidn Wiesn is particularly popular, with the reward pins having to be reordered after just a few days. Young people usually come to the festival in larger groups – traditional costume is almost always a must. The LGBTIQ* community also celebrates in a relaxed atmosphere and is a visible part of the community at the Wiesn. Many senior citizens prefer the less hectic days and specifically seek out quiet places, which the Wiesn also has to offer.

The festival is more accessible than ever

The accessible facilities at the festival grounds were expertly reviewed by Pfennigparade as part of the “Schichtwechsel” (shift change) project. Influencer Lisa Maria Wagner was accompanied on her tour in a wheelchair by the Department of Labor and Economic Development. The conclusion: Oktoberfest is also possible for people with disabilities and is great fun—a festival for everyone.

Atmosphere at the festival grounds

People who prefer to refrain from consumption enjoy the atmosphere: they immerse themselves in the stream of people, let themselves be enchanted by the smells of roasted almonds and roast chicken, and listen to the announcements of the barkers. Music from the beer tents, the sea of lights at dusk, the shows in front of the Schichtl and the Steilwandfahrer, as well as countless visitors who more or less successfully climb the toboggan, ensure lasting impressions. This cult ride in particular is shared so often on social media that many international guests now want to experience it for themselves. Those who don't know the exact name mimic the typical toboggan gesture – jumping with arms outstretched – and are quickly shown where to go.

This is what it looks like when eating and drinking

According to reports from small and large restaurateurs, regional cuisine continues to be popular. Guests appreciate quality and enjoy the experience of eating and drinking at the Wiesn. The range of vegetarian and vegan dishes is constantly being expanded, and demand remains steady. Kässpatzen (cheese noodles) continue to be the vegetarian favorite.

The large tents report an increase of between 5 and 8 percent in food sales (excluding roast chicken), while chicken consumption remains unchanged. Consumption of non-alcoholic beverages has risen by 10 percent, while beer consumption remains unchanged from last year.

In medium-sized businesses, food sales were 2 to 3 percent higher than in 2024. The top-selling beverage was water, which even ran out in some establishments on the first weekend.

What will be the Oktoberfest hit?

So far, no clear hit has emerged, but “Wackelkontakt” by Oimara and “Bella Napoli” by Roy Bianco and the Abbrunzati Boys are hotly tipped.

Official booking and resale portal

On the online portal for restaurateurs launched in 2023, unused reservations can be exchanged or purchased at the original price. This transaction processing ensures a secure purchase and protects against extortionate prices, such as those charged on the black market. Twenty-one medium-sized and large catering businesses have opted for the Oktoberfest-Booking.com portal as their solution. The platform reports around 200,000 page views per day (2024: 180,000). To date, more than 750 transactions have been processed (2024: 600).

show business

On the hot first weekend, the rides that promised cooling off, such as the chain flyers, were particularly popular. For the young guests, riding the wildest and most unusual rides is seen as a test of courage, a way to impress their friends. Family Day was once again very well received. Kids are always welcome guests and, when they visit with their kindergarten, are often invited by the showmen and showwomen to ride the carousel.

souvenir sales

Souvenir sales are going very well. Here, too, the trend is toward quality. All products featuring this year's poster motif are very popular. As soon as it starts to rain, demand for ponchos and umbrellas increases. High-quality pins are once again a big hit. There is increased demand for pins and Glupperl that can be used to signal one's relationship status: the edelweiss stands for “taken,” the pretzel for “single.”

street vending

Roasted almonds, chocolate-covered fruit, and gingerbread hearts are still part of the fun at folk festivals. When it comes to hearts, the smaller ones are chosen because they are easy to transport. Chocolate hearts wrapped in red foil are experiencing a small renaissance. When it comes to snacks, guests are willing to dig deeper into their pockets if the quality is convincing.

From the Behördenhof (courtyard of the authorities)

All security authorities praise the prudence of the guests and agree that the security concept has proven itself. The checks at the entrances are accepted without any problems. The police, medical services, and youth protection authorities particularly emphasized that the number of heavily intoxicated minors has continued to decline.

• Police: The police are very satisfied with how Oktoberfest has gone so far. The number of incidents is on par with last year. There have been no major incidents to date. (Own report)
• Medical station: After a turbulent start with a record number of incidents, Aicher Ambulance reports a normal first half. (Own report).
• Fire department: The fire department reports a very quiet Oktoberfest with no special incidents. (Own report)
• Security services: The Association of German Event and Security Service Providers (VESD e.V.) gives a very positive assessment at the halfway point. Around 600 personnel from the security companies organized in VESD e.V. are securing six large festival tents, showmen's tents, and smaller tents. The atmosphere is peaceful and calmer than last year, with many guests coming with their families. So far, no security personnel have been seriously injured. This year, there are more women in leadership positions than ever before. The association has specifically promoted this development because it has been shown to have a de-escalating effect and strengthen the teams. The VESD e.V. also considers the cooperation with the police and emergency services to be very good.
• Protection of minors: The youth protection team reports a quiet week. Around 90 parents were made aware of the ban on strollers, and 25 parents were asked to leave the beer tent with their children after 8 p.m. The nursing and diapering room is very well frequented.
• Lost and found: By Sunday, the lost property office had counted 1,750 items (2024: 1,115), including 410 items of clothing, 200 ID cards, 150 bank cards, 280 wallets, 105 keys, 55 bags, backpacks, pouches, 150 cell phones/smartphones, 170 pairs of glasses (+110 percent), 45 pieces of jewelry, 42 umbrellas (+180 percent!), and 35 hats. So far, 330 lost items have been returned to their owners (2024: 330). The most curious finds so far have been a crutch, a furniture store voucher worth €299, and two left traditional shoes.
• Beer mug theft: Around 59,000 beer mugs have been collected by security staff so far (2024: 48,000).
• KVR - Food inspection: The food inspection department inspected 390 businesses. These are checked daily for proper operating, product, and personnel hygiene as well as labeling. In the morning, the proper delivery of goods (functional refrigeration or cleanliness) is checked. The KVR is pleased that a very high standard of hygiene has been established at the Wiesn.
• Health Department: The Health Department is very satisfied with drinking water hygiene, jug rinsing hygiene, and cleanliness in public areas. The water at the drinking fountains is checked daily.
• Noise levels in the tents: On the first weekend, the Department of Climate and Environmental Protection carried out inspections of the music systems in the large catering establishments and at the Oidn Wiesn. The monitoring measurements were taken in large catering establishments and at the Oidn Wiesn on Wednesday (September 24) before 6 p.m. (85 dB(A)) and on Tuesday (September 23) and Thursday (September 25) after 6 p.m. (90 dB(A)). In addition, medium-sized catering establishments were also inspected on Tuesday (September 23) and Thursday (September 25). The following festival tents registered for the special “traditional brass band music” regulation this year: Hofbräuhaus Festzelt, Armbrustschützen Festzelt, Augustiner Festzelt, Löwenbräu Festzelt und Ochsenbraterei, and Bräurosl Festzelt.

Energy and water consumption

As in 2024, Oktoberfest will also be supplied with 100 percent green electricity in 2025. Around 65 percent of customers also actively purchase M-Ökostrom green electricity. The largest consumers include Marstall, Ochsenbraterei, Bräurosl, Weinzelt, Hackerfestzelt, Schottenhamel, Löwenbräu, Fischer Vroni, Käfer, Winzerer Fähndl, and Schützenliesl. Many fairground operators, such as Riesenrad, Alpinabahn, and Top Spin, also use M-Ökostrom.

Up to and including September 26, 2025, 1,192,057 kWh of electricity were consumed. This represents an increase of 8.7 percent compared to the same period in 2024. The reasons for this are cooler temperatures and various 

conversion measures. Average daily consumption was 170,294 kWh. The highest power demand was measured on September 26 at 7 p.m. with 12,065 kW. A total of 798 meters are in operation for shops and caravans (2024: 792).

Currently, 44 gas systems on the Theresienwiese are supplied with natural gas, including garden heaters and most large kitchens and barbecue facilities. Only the Münchner Stubn, as in the previous year, is completely gas-free. In the first seven days, gas consumption was around 69,000 m³ (including 7,700 m³ of heating gas) – around 11.6 percent more than in 2024. This is due to additional connected appliances and cooler days. The largest consumer at the halfway point is the Käfer festival tent with around 4,900 m³.

During the setup phase from early July until the start of Oktoberfest, approximately 30,000 m³ of drinking water was consumed. In the first seven days of the festival, consumption was around 34,000 m³, about 900 m³ less than in 2024. A total of 525 connections were set up for restaurateurs, showmen, stalls, and public toilets (2024: 535) .

By September 12, 2025, 320 water samples had been taken, all of which were negative. Ten drinking fountains with automatic flushing devices are in operation, and their buttons have already been pressed around 51,400 times. Consumption is 66.3 m³, with the fountain behind the Ochsenbraterei leading the way with 11.5 m³.

MVG

The Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (Munich Transport Company) (MVG) reports a relaxed first week without capacity bottlenecks. Many guests arrive by S-Bahn and cross the Hackerbrücke bridge to reach the festival grounds. They then depart via the Goetheplatz underground station. In general, this station is busier than last year, which also takes some of the pressure off the Theresienwiese underground station.