6.7 million people attended Oktoberfest in 2024

Oktoberfest generates over $1B every year

As one of the largest festivals in the world, Oktoberfest is an economic mainstay for Munich. Analysts estimate the annual beer fest contributes at least $1.4B in revenue to the city alone, accounting for roughly 2% of the city's gross domestic product.

Oktoberfest's beer tents have specific themes

With 17 big tents and 21 small ones, each with a unique personality, there’s one to suit every type of Oktoberfest visitor. The oldest, Augustiner Festhalle, has been a part of the festival since 1898 and can hold 8,500 people.

Oktoberfest, explained

The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. It was the surprising prototype of what would become every beer fan's favorite festival. Held in late September and early October, Oktoberfest is the largest folk festival in the world.

Oktoberfests take place all over the world

If you can’t make it to Munich, there are plenty of other places around the world to celebrate Oktoberfest. Cincinnati’s festival, called Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, is the largest in the US, with more than 700,000 visitors eating a (literal) ton of potato salad.

Only six breweries are permitted at Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest’s beer offerings are tightly regulated. Only six breweries are invited to supply the entire festival with drinks. The “youngest” brewery, Paulaner, was founded in 1634.

Oktoberfest has been canceled 26 times

The first time, in 1813, Bavaria was fighting off Napoleon’s army, which left little time for celebration. Years were also lost to the Austro-Prussian War, a worldwide cholera outbreak, and both World Wars. Most recently, the 2020 and 2021 Oktoberfests were canceled due to COVID-19.

Every Oktoberfest starts with a tap

Crowds rush excitedly toward the tents to count down to the ceremonial first tap, with the mayor declaring “O’zapft is!” This short documentary walks you through the tradition at the 2019 festival. Don’t miss the impressive shots of servers carrying dozens of beer steins at once to their thirsty patrons. Prost!

A 1980 Oktoberfest bombing killed 13 people

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The states in America that drink the most beer

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What was the London Beer Flood of 1814?

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11 people died from firework injuries in the US in 2024.

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Photos from Burning Man 2023

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A 2019 meme about Area 51 led to arrests and a music festival

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A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

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The 2026 Met Gala celebrated an exhibition exploring fashion's relationship to the body

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Watch archival footage of Jesse Owens in the 1936 Berlin Olympics

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World health experts expect more than 240 million global cases of AMD in 2030

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In 2023, there were nearly as many payloads in LOE as trackable pieces of debris

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