The city will again being flooded with up to 7 million revellers all seeking fun and adventure at the Oktoberfest. With nearly 8 million litres of beer being sold yearly. Over the past 4-5 years I have taken pictures of the party-goers in their drunken states and also pictures of classic moments during the festival. There is certainly pictures which seem to be similar every year; couples clambering over each other on the grass banks, men peeing into telephone booths, walls and whatever else they can find.
The Oktoberfest certainly brings a huge amount of business to the city every year and there is no doubt that there is now no sign of a celebration of the wedding which was the reason for the start of the event. It seems now that the latest dirndl or lederhosen is the talk of the town, great for the designers. Prices of the “mass” have also increased to over €10 which is also fantastic for the monopolistic breweries in the city.
The aim of the pictures is not only to show the sheer destructive nature of the alcohol and also the resulting problems from this but also to show a slightly funnier side to the festival.
Hehe, these are great pictures! I especially like the man in the pink hat. Wish I could be there — not to drink, but to see all of these silly people. Thanks for sharing your photos.
In Canada, we have our own Oktoberfest in Kitchener-Waterloo, to celebrate the local heritage of German Canadians. It’s said to be the largest in North America, however, it is not comparable to this. The over-indulgent patrons bear a resemblance though! 🙂 Your photographs grab the highs and lows of Munich’s world-famous event. Despite the ills of the visitors being self-inflicted, you still manage to stir some empathy in me with your more poignant photos. I see some headaches in their future!
Hi, I think there are Oktoberfests all over the world. The biggest being in Munich though, absolutely crazy how 7 million visitors can squeeze into the city which has a population of 1.3m!
Great photos, looks like a great party, thanks for posting the pics to your blog.
Thanks James.
It’s great to see an event like this bringing both old and young people together and having a jolly good time. The traditional outfits are quite something.
I had to laugh at some of the pictures of the men trying to discreetly “take a leek” around the place. Are they too drunk to find the toilet booths?
Your photographs of the Munich Oktoberfest are just amazing. You’ve displayed the full spectrum, from those who are not quite enjoying the festival to people doing the most unreal things in public and of course, to the complete contrast which is the happiness of the festival. The amusement in some of your pics shows a fun adventure that can lead to a drunken mess in the end for some. Once again you amaze me with your work.
Thank you for the kind comments David. I always try and capture the “other side” of the Oktoberfest.
Ich war niemals in München auf die “Wiesn”, aber will irgendwann dort hingehen. Wenn ich sehe diese Fotos, ich denke an die viele bekloppte, besoffene Menschen die bei unsere “Kerb” herumlaufen! Oktoberfest ist dafür berühmt, dass die Menschen oft zu weit gehen….hier sieht man alles möglich… sehr coole Fotos.
Vielen Dank TE.
I enjoy this “darker” perspective of Oktoberfest. I have visited Munich in the past and this is definitely a more realistic look at the festival.