Oktoberfest worker dies after being struck by 85-meter Hangover free-fall tower gondola in Munich

Incident at the Hangover tower

On Monday, 21 September 2026, at approximately 21:50, a 52-year-old security worker was fatally injured at the Oktoberfest fairgrounds in Munich. The victim, a Serbian national residing in Augsburg, was stationed at the Hangover ride, an 85-meter free-fall tower operated by the Schneider family. As the gondola descended at high speed, it struck and trapped the employee while he was standing in the restricted ground zone directly beneath it. Emergency medical personnel administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene before transferring him to a local hospital, where he died shortly after arrival. The surrounding fairground area was cordoned off during the rescue operation while the festival remained open.

Police inquiry and technical inspection

Kommissariat 13 of the Munich Criminal Police took charge of the workplace investigation to determine why the employee was positioned inside the danger zone during operation. Police spokesperson Thomas Schelshorn confirmed that investigators are examining the work environment, reviewing witness statements, and requesting mobile phone footage from visitors. Officials noted that the inquiry could extend over several weeks to establish whether individual negligence occurred. Technical inspectors from TÜV Süd and the municipal building commission evaluated the 2.8 million euro attraction and discovered no mechanical or electrical faults. The public prosecutor raised no objections to reopening the attraction once remaining regulatory reviews conclude. Oktoberfest director Christian Scharpf confirmed the findings of the technical inspection.

“Technically, the ride has no defects at all. It could run again.”

Operator response and victim support

The operator family Schneider expressed deep sorrow and pledged complete cooperation with the police and public prosecutor. Dirk Metz, spokesperson for the operating family, described the mood among the staff following the event.

“Our entire team is shocked and horrified.”

Showmen association representative Yvonne Heckel noted that staff members across all festival departments expressed broad sympathy, announcing a memorial gathering during the scheduled service on Thursday. Julian Tanzer, spokesperson for Aicher Ambulanz, confirmed that crisis intervention teams provided psychological support to nine ride workers and multiple eyewitnesses. Festival authorities confirmed that none of the 24 possible passengers on board the gondola sustained physical injuries during the incident.

Operational history and previous incidents

The fatal event represents the second mechanical disruption recorded at the 191st Oktoberfest since the fair opened on Saturday morning. On 19 September 2026, a faulty sensor halted a spinning carousel, leaving passengers suspended upside down for two minutes before crews released them. Staff accidents have occurred at the fairgrounds in previous years despite routine inspections conducted by safety authorities. In 2024, a 20-year-old worker died after being struck by a carriage during a test run on the Olympia Looping roller coaster. During festival dismantling in 2023, a 50-year-old worker suffered life-threatening injuries after falling from a height of approximately five meters. The Hangover tower, which debuted in July 2015 and has operated at the Munich festival since 2022, is scheduled to visit Cologne and London later this year.