Extra $3.5 million to be spent on Oktoberfest security after terror attacks in Europe

WITH Europe reeling from a series of terror attacks, the organisers of the world’s biggest folk festival are not leaving anything to chance.

Women dressed in dirndls, drinking beers, dancing and having fun in the beer tent at the Oktoberfest in Munich last year.

IT’S the world’s largest folk festival, which draws in crowds of more than six million each year. And this year, I’ll be one of them, dirndl and all.

To put into perspective just how massive it is — booze-happy visitors drank the festival dry last year consuming a total of 7.5 million litres of beer.

While it’s all fun and games, let’s not forget the event is being organised in the shadow of troubling events. And despite this — officials are still expecting an increase in attendance.

Just last week in Munich a teenager shot and killed nine people at a McDonald’s after luring people there with a Facebook post. And of course there were the attacks in Nice, Istanbul and Brussels.

But terrorism is not a new one for the beloved folk fest, which was the site of an attack in 1980 when a right-wing extremist planted a bomb that killed 12 people and himself, as well as injuring more than 200.

But many revellers will be comforted to know festival organisers have ramped up the security spending an extra $A3.5 million (€2.2 million) in hiring more than 100 security guards.

For the very first time at Theresienwiese, the official ground of Oktoberfest, there will be security checks, including bag checks at all the entrance points of the festival.

An Oktoberfest spokeswoman Gabriele Papke said over the years, in which the police have repeatedly found abstract security threats, the security measures have been strengthened continuously.

She also said they will have barrier-rings prohibiting the entry to the festival grounds for vehicles, as well as an automatic bollard system to block off certain areas when needed. The City of Munich invested millions in this system a few years ago.

ESCAPE: Oktoberfest, Christine Retschlag, March 13 2016 - Munich, Germany - September 23, 2012: At the Munich Oktoberfest hundreds inside one of the big beer tents thousands of people have gathered to have fun, drink, eat, and sing along with the band playing drinking songs. Picture: Istock

But terrorism isn’t their only concern. Their biggest fear is overcrowding. It’s actually something my friends and regular Oktoberfest goers here in Frankfurt warned me about.

They said things got so chaotic last year that officials tried closing off some entrances, but struggled to control the crowds.

“The organisers are facing difficult situations due to overcrowding at different times,” Ms Papke said.

“These situations have to be managed. And they will be managed without bothering the character of the festival.”

One way they have tried to control crowds is by introducing a Wiesn-Barometer, so your time isn’t spent constantly dodging people. It tells you which times are the most crowded.

Just remember, each day roughly attracts half a million people.

There will bee 14 halls this year with each of them serving the special Oktoberfest beer brewed by the six major Munich breweries including Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr and Löwenbräu. It opens an hour later than usual, at 10am.

Ms Papke insists revellers check out the historical funfair attractions like the Krinoline, the Toboggan or the Teufelsrad (Devil’s Wheel) and the Oktoberfest Giant Wheel at night.

But anything that involves spinning in circular motions should perhaps be enjoyed before ample amounts of beer are consumed.

“Enjoy the visit of one of the festival halls, but take care of drinking too much Oktoberfest beer (13 per cent!),” she warns.

Prost!

MUNICH, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 21: Visitors enjoy the atmosphaere at Augustiner Beer tent after the Parade of Costumes and Riflemen (Trachten- und Schuetzenzug) on the second day of the 2014 Oktoberfest at Theresienhoehe on September 21, 2014 in Munich, Germany. The 181st Oktoberfest will be open to the public from September 20 through October 5 and traditionally draws millions of visitors from across the globe in the world's largest beer fest. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Shireen Khalil is currently travelling Europe. You can follow her food/ lifestyle journey on Instagram @getstuffd