Oktoberfest (German pronunciation: [ɔkˈtoːbɐˌfɛst] ; Bavarian: Oktobafest/d'Wiesn) is the world's largest Volksfest. It combines a beer festival with a fun fair and is held annually in Munich on the Theresienwiese from mid-September to the first Sunday in October.
The event draws around seven million visitors each year. In 2023, attendance reached a record 7.2 million. Visitors consumed approximately 7.4 million litres of beer. The festival features amusement rides, games, food stalls, and traditional Bavarian dishes.
The first Oktoberfest was held on 12 October 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Since then, the festival has been cancelled on multiple occasions, most recently in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.
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