Munich, Germany – The iconic Oktoberfest, a global magnet for millions, was brought to an unforeseen halt on Wednesday as German authorities ordered its closure. This drastic action came in response to a serious bomb threat, which officials stated was connected to an earlier, violent explosion in a city residential district.
Munich police had previously responded to a residential fire in the city’s northern sector earlier that day. Emergency services were dispatched after local residents reported hearing several explosions. Investigators on the scene discovered ‘explosive traps’ within the burning structure. A severely injured man, whose identity remains undisclosed, was later found near a nearby lake and tragically succumbed to his wounds. Authorities have not yet clarified his connection to the incident or the nature of the blast.
Initially, investigators suspected the fire was the result of a domestic dispute. This led officers to search multiple locations associated with the event, including the Theresienwiese, the sprawling fairgrounds that host Oktoberfest.
However, police spokesman Thomas Schelshorn later confirmed that a ‘nonspecific bomb threat’ was uncovered at the residence, shifting the focus of the ongoing investigations and escalating the security alert, leading to the wider searches.
The precise reasons connecting this ‘nonspecific threat’ to the Theresienwiese remain unclear, leaving many questions unanswered about the motive or specific target.
At the time of the closure, tens of thousands of visitors were already in Munich for the 190th annual Oktoberfest celebration. Officials announced that the festival would remain shut down until at least 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday, causing widespread disruption.
Last year, Oktoberfest attracted a staggering 6.7 million attendees. This is not the first time the festival has faced an unexpected closure; it was previously canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The event also bears the tragic memory of a terrorist attack in 1980, which claimed 13 lives at one of its exits.