German police have closed the Oktoberfest fairgrounds this morning following a bomb threat from the suspected perpetrator of an explosion in northern Munich.
At least one person’s death was believed to be connected to the explosion at a residential building early on Wednesday, which Munich police said was deliberately set on fire as part of a domestic dispute.
It was not immediately clear whether the deceased was the suspected perpetrator or someone else. Another person, who was not considered to be a danger to the public, remained missing.
Specialised teams were called to the scene to defuse booby traps in the building, police said.
Officials discovered the bomb threat to Oktoberfest in a letter from the alleged perpetrator. Police searched the fairgrounds for other explosive devices and asked workers to leave the area.
Alongside the bomb, a burned out van and a damaged car were found in the city. German newspaper Bild reported that police are investigating a possible connection with Antifa, following a post on a website linked with the movement.
Munich police said the house had been rigged with explosives and then set on fire. A badly wounded man was found a short distance away, and later died of his injuries, police said.
Local media reported that a man was suspected of having caused the explosion and fire in his parents’ house before killing himself, and that shots had been fired in the incident, but police did not confirm this.
Special police forces at the scene after explosive devices were found in a burning house in Munich, Germany, October 1 2025
A police officer walks at the Oktoberfest area that stays closed after a bomb threatening in Munich on October 1, 2025
The empty Oktoberfest area that stays closed after a bomb threatening in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, October 1, 2025
One local resident told Die Welt that he ‘woke up around 5am because there were a few loud bangs. I got up, looked, and then there was a fire’.
Another reported a noxious cloud of smoke, along with the smell of fire.
A 200m evacuation zone around the explosion’s epicentre was triggered, forcing local residents to leave the area.
Police said they were investigating any possible link to the Oktoberfest, held annually near the centre of the Bavarian capital on the Theresienwiese fair grounds.
‘Due to a bomb threat in connection with the explosion in northern Munich, Theresienwiese will remain closed until 5.00pm for the time being,’ said a statement on the Oktoberfest website.
Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter hasn’t yet ruled out the possibility that the major celebrations may be closed all day as police investigate, saying this morning: ‘The police will do everything to have the entire Wiesn searched by 5 p.m. this afternoon, if possible, to ensure safety.
‘If that’s not the case, I’ll get in touch again, and then the Wiesn won’t open at all today. I’m sorry, there’s no other way. Safety comes first.’
A message titled ‘Antifa means attack’ posted on the indymedia.org website read: ‘In the early morning hours, we torched several luxury cars in northern Munich and made house calls. In addition, a fascist’s morning walk didn’t end particularly well’.
A burnt-out car at the scene after explosive devices were found in a burning house in Munich, Germany, October 1 2025
A damaged car at the scene after explosive devices were found in a burning house in Munich, Germany, October 1 2025
The note, which has since been taken down, added: ‘In a society that is moving ever further to the right, a decisive stand must be taken against this.
‘The latest election results are frightening, and in parts of the country, Nazis are already taking over entire regions. Nevertheless, most people still look the other way, even though this is their last chance to prevent history from repeating itself.’
Cops told local media that they are aware of the message and are investigating a possible connection.
The festival, which is held this year from September 20 to October 5, is considered the largest funfair in the world. It welcomed 6.7 million visitors from around the planet in 2024.
The incident harkens back to the tragic Oktoberfest bombing in 1980, which saw far-right terrorists kill 13 and injure over 200 in an IED explosion placed at the festival’s main entrance.
Gundolf Köhler created the bomb with an emptied British mortar grenade, into which he placed several military-grade explosives and a gas bottle take from a fire extinguisher.
More to follow.
