Security measures at Oktoberfest have been significantly tightened following a deadly knife attack last month in western Germany. Officials have warned attendees to brace for longer lines at the entrance as metal detectors are introduced for the first time in the 189-year history of the Bavarian beer festival.
Despite there being no specific threats to the world’s largest folk festival, which kicks off Saturday with the traditional keg-tapping in Munich and runs through October 6, the heightened security is in response to an August 23 attack in Solingen that left three people dead and eight injured. The suspect, a 26-year-old Syrian asylum-seeker, was arrested after the attack. He was supposed to be deported to Bulgaria last year but reportedly disappeared, avoiding deportation. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, although no evidence was provided.
The Solingen incident jolted Germany and reignited debates over immigration, pushing the topic back to the forefront of the country’s political discourse. Subsequently, the Interior Ministry has extended temporary border controls across all its nine frontiers for six months, a move that could strain European unity.
The ripples of recent violence, including the Solingen attack, are evident at Oktoberfest. For the first time, hand-held metal detectors will be used by police and security staff, both randomly and when suspicious behavior is observed. “We have had to react to the fact that attacks with knives have increased in recent weeks and months,” Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter told The Associated Press during a media tour showcasing the new security measures. “We will do everything we can to ensure that nobody comes to Oktoberfest with a knife or other dangerous weapons.”
In addition to the deployment of approximately 600 police officers and 2,000 security personnel, over 50 surveillance cameras will be installed throughout the festival grounds, which will also be fenced off. Attendees will be banned from bringing knives, glass bottles, and backpacks to the event.
Enhanced security is not new to Oktoberfest. Following a series of attacks in 2016, including a tragic shooting spree at a Munich mall, authorities had already ramped up safety protocols. Memories of the 1980 bomb attack at the festival entrance that killed 13 people, including three children and the attacker, remain poignant. Federal prosecutors revisited the case in 2014 after a new witness emerged but found no evidence of additional conspirators working with the attacker, Gundolf Koehler, who was affiliated with a far-right group.
Peter Neumann, a professor of security studies at King’s College London, described the security measures at Oktoberfest as prudent, especially given the recent violence in Solingen and other foiled plots across Europe. Extremist groups like the Islamic State often target high-profile events to maximize terror and media coverage, he noted.
French authorities have intercepted three plots against the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, including plans to attack Israeli institutions. In Austria, a 19-year-old was arrested for allegedly plotting to attack canceled Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna and kill tens of thousands of fans.
“These are all global events where you can expect to cause a lot of attention,” Neumann said, adding that the Islamic State has been gaining momentum during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The group alluded to the conflict when claiming responsibility for the Solingen attack, asserting the assailant targeted Christians as a “soldier of the Islamic State” to avenge Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere.
Securing Oktoberfest poses unique challenges due to the sheer volume of attendees. “It’s an iconic event and this is exactly the kind of event that they’d want to strike,” Neumann explained. “But with millions of people — drunk people to be honest — running around, it’s really difficult to control every movement.”
Clemens Baumgärtner, the festival’s organizer, assured that the 16-day event would be as safe as possible, promising possibly “the safest place in Germany” during the festivities.
