Munich Oktoberfest shut down after deadly explosion and bomb threat
Up to seven million people attend the famous beer festival in the Bavarian capital each year.
Police investigate an explosion near Oktoberfest
German police shut down the famous Oktoberfest beer festival in northern Munich after an explosion killed at least one person.
City officials also reported that the alleged perpetrator of the blast issued a bomb threat Wednesday morning. Munich police said the incident was related to a domestic dispute, but provided no further details.
It is unclear whether the deceased was the alleged perpetrator of the attack or another individual.
Although officers stated that the deadly incident posed no danger to festivalgoers, special forces were investigating an area in northern Munich where the newspaper Bild and numerous other reports said shots and additional explosions had been heard.
Police also searched the Oktoberfest fairgrounds for other explosive devices and asked workers to evacuate the area to speed up the operation.
Oktoberfest will remain closed until at least 5 p.m. local time on October 1, local authorities confirmed.
Oktoberfest receives up to seven million visitors.
Oktoberfest: the world's largest beer festival
In 2023, attendance reached a record 7.2 million, with participants consuming approximately 7.4 million liters of beer. The festival features rides, games, food stalls, and traditional Bavarian dishes.
The first Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Since then, the festival has been canceled several times, most recently in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.
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