The 191st edition of the Munich Oktoberfest set a new visitor record in 2026. Over the 16-day period, approximately 7.4 million guests attended the world's largest beer festival, surpassing the previous record of 7.2 million set in 2023. According to the city administration, the How to Wiesn visitor management campaign successfully encouraged more weekday attendance, while late-summer weather additionally boosted crowd numbers.
Consequently, total beer consumption also saw an increase. According to the Association of Munich Breweries, guests drank 6.7 million Maß (67,000 hl) of festival beer, which represents a 2.7 percent volume increase compared to the 6.5 million Maß (65,000 hl) consumed in 2025. Food sales experienced a parallel growth of two to three percent, driven by a resurgent demand for traditional roast chicken.
A notable shift in consumer behavior was visible in the non-alcoholic segment. The demand for non-alcoholic beer surged by 10.7 percent compared to the previous year, highlighting an ongoing change in drinking habits even at traditional beer festivals. Wheat beer also experienced a strong 12.6 percent volume increase, while the overall consumption of non-alcoholic beverages grew by 10 percent.
Despite the unprecedented crowds, the event ran smoothly from a crowd-control perspective. Munich's mayor Dominik Krause and festival director Christian Scharpf praised the implementation of an updated security concept. This included temporary access restrictions and advanced camera surveillance, which prevented critical overcrowding situations on the festival grounds.
