Oktoberfest draws nearly one million visitors during smooth opening weekend

Nearly one million people attended Munich’s Oktoberfest during its first weekend, with good weather, few problems and several minor incidents, BR reported. About 450,000 visitors came on the festival’s opening day.

Police and emergency services remained busy despite the event’s calm start. By Sunday afternoon, police had recorded 55 offences, slightly fewer than during the same period last year.

On Sunday, 50 groups from across Europe took part in the traditional costume and marksmen’s procession through Munich to the Theresienwiese. More than 8,000 participants travelled from Maximilianstrasse in traditional and historic clothing, accompanied by festival carriages and decorated brewery wagons.

For the first time, the Cologne carnival group Kölsche Funke rut-wieß vun 1823 joined the procession. The group, founded in 1823, is the oldest traditional corps in Cologne’s carnival and wears red and white uniforms based on those of former city soldiers.

At the festival, several passengers on the Predator ride were left hanging upside down for several minutes on Saturday evening. They were back on the ground by the time medical staff arrived. The operator said a defective sensor had caused the ride to stop. The sensor was replaced, and TÜV inspectors checked the ride again without finding any problems.

Munich Mayor Dominik Krause took a break on Sunday after experiencing mild circulation problems. He had taken part in the procession but cancelled a beer-tapping event at the Bräurosl tent during the traditional Gay Sunday. His spokesman said Krause had gone home to recover and was expected to return on Monday.

The mayor is due to speak at the Oktoberfest landlords’ Wiesn mit Herz charity event on Monday. The organisers invite around 1,400 Munich residents who would otherwise be unable to afford a meal at the festival.

Police spokesman Christian Drexler said cooperation between national and international officers had proved useful. Pickpocket investigators from Portugal and Frankfurt arrested two people in two festival tents, resolving a sexual offence and preventing a theft.

The Aicher Ambulanz medical service had treated nearly 700 patients by Saturday evening, including 13 who were examined in the festival’s computed tomography scanner. Most cases involved alcohol, circulation problems or injuries. The first alcohol poisoning case occurred nearly four hours after the opening ceremony, while a 25 year old broke his arm during an arm wrestling match.