Do viral videos show an authentic disclaimer warning people that what they are about to see is a "trampling incident" during the 2025 Oktoberfest and that this footage is not appropriate for audiences below 18 years old? No, that's not true: The banner saying that is engagement bait. Those videos do not show what the warning says they do. No trampling or stampede incidents took place during the 2025 Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok, where it was published on October 14, 2025, under the title that reads:
Trampling incident
Oktoberfest 2025.
The pop-up lower banner continued:
No viewing
under 18 unable to view.
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: Lead Stories screenshot of post by hanbargar8 at tiktok.com)
A fraction of a second before the warning appears on the screen, we see an orderly crowd. People stand in their spots in what looks like a large indoor space and take photos and videos of what is happening before them:
(Source: Lead Stories screenshot of post by hanbargar8 at tiktok.com)
The frames showing a peaceful gathering contradict the sound in which the audience could hear a woman's scream, and yet, the crowd strangely shows no physical response, such as rapid movement toward or against the source of the sound. That suggests that the audio could have been added later.
The video had a longer description in German, tying the footage to a specific location, Munich:
Oktoberfest 2025 Wegen massiven Andrangs hat die Stadt München zeitweise alle Eingänge zum Oktoberfest gesperrt. Straßen waren blockiert, Besucher gerieten in Panik und riefen den Notruf. Inzwischen sind die Zugänge wieder geöffnet. #oktoberfest #münchen #fyp #australian #viral
Oktoberfest 2025: Sicherheit und Zugang in München
Erfahren Sie, was beim Oktoberfest 2025 passiert ist! Eingänge gesperrt, Panik unter Besuchern. Alle Infos hier! #oktoberfest #münchen
Keywords: Oktoberfest 2025 München Zugangssperrung Sicherheit Besucher Panik , Notruf Oktoberfest Erfahrung, Vorfälle beim Oktoberfest
As translated to English by DeepL, it reads:
Oktoberfest 2025 Due to massive crowds, the city of Munich temporarily closed all entrances to Oktoberfest. Roads were blocked, visitors panicked and called emergency services. The entrances have since been reopened. #oktoberfest #munich #fyp #australian #viral
Oktoberfest 2025: Security and access in Munich
Find out what happened at Oktoberfest 2025! Entrances closed, panic among visitors. All the info here! #oktoberfest #munich
Keywords: Oktoberfest 2025 Munich Access closure Security Visitors Panic, Emergency call Oktoberfest Experience, Incidents at Oktoberfest
That, however, was followed by a disclaimer that the text seen above was AI generated:
(Source: Lead Stories screenshot of post by hanbargar8 at tiktok.com)
Yet, a search for the keywords and the exact wording from the video's description led to other posts containing fake, attention-seeking pop-up warnings that partially covered the footage without any disturbing scenes.
(Source: Lead Stories screenshot of post by ttokyou2 at tiktok.com)
Similar false-alarm videos have been circulating on the internet at least since September 30, 2025, as previously reported by Lead Stories.
In 2025, Oktoberfest (archived here) was held in Munich, Germany, between September 20 and October 5. On September 30, 2025, DW (archived here) reported that the concentration of festival goers was so high that "the festival entrances were briefly closed over the weekend due to overcrowding." The next day, the New York Times (archived here) wrote that the authorities temporarily closed the Oktoberfest area "because of a bomb threat that they said was linked to an explosion in a residential area of the city". Several hours later, however, the information was proven to be a false alarm (archived here), and the festival reopened, an AP dispatch (archived here) reads.
