The 2023 edition of Munich’s famed Oktoberfest set an attendance record.
An estimated 7.2 million people attended the world’s largest celebration of beer from September 16th to October 3, 2023, the highest level of attendance ever. While this year’s edition was also the longest, extended by two extra days to end coincident with the German Unity Day national holiday, attendance was up substantially from 2022 (5.7 million people) and 2019 (6.3 million). The festival was not held in 2020 or 2021.
Surprisingly, the record number of attendees were not as thirsty for beer as in prior years. An estimated 6.5 million measures of beer were served — less than one per person — compared 7.1 million in 2020 and 7.3 million in 2019.
Instead of beer, sales of non-alcoholic beverages was up 50% and sales of food was up 15%.
Other fun facts from the 2023 edition of Oktoberfest:
- security confiscated 115,600 Maßkrüges (beer steins) from sticky-fingered souvenir seekers
- 3,250 items were turned in to the lost and found (which included 640 wallets, 580 items of clothing, 520 ID cards, 400 smartphones, 380 bank cards, 200 keys, 310 pairs of glasses, 120 bags, 40 umbrellas and 60 pieces of jewelry)
- 2.8 million kWh of electricity was consumed
- 300 tons of garbage was collected
- the ambulance station dealt with 7,620 patients
- there were only seven lost children
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