Oktoberfest ride operator hands out shorts to deter upskirting

The operator of a popular Oktoberfest amusement ride has distributed free cycling shorts to women and girls in an effort to prevent voyeuristic filming. The Teufelsrad, or Devil’s Wheel, is a rotating platform that moves increasingly quickly until riders fall off. The motion can cause skirts to rise, and videos showing women’s underwear have circulated widely online.

Operator Elisabeth Polaczy told the BBC that she had handed out more than 100 pairs of cycling shorts during this year’s festival. She has offered the clothing for three years and said she wanted visitors to feel secure, despite the expense. At least 32,000 videos involving women on the ride have reportedly circulated, with some receiving millions of views.

One woman was said to have earned €9,000 from a single clip. Some images have also been digitally altered to show women naked. Filming beneath skirts is illegal in Germany and can carry a prison sentence of up to two years.

Munich police arrested a 45-year-old Swiss man this year for allegedly filming beneath a German woman’s dirndl. Police recorded 10 such arrests last year and seven in 2024. Josephine Ballon of digital-violence organisation Hate Aid said existing law did not offer complete protection because it applied when someone filmed under a skirt, but not necessarily when a skirt lifted and was photographed.

She also raised concerns about camera glasses and called for action against people and platforms that distribute intimate images. Munich has separately restricted filming by influencers. Live streams from the festival are banned, and anyone seeking to film must obtain a paid permit.

Some Oktoberfest staff have also begun wearing cycling shorts under their traditional clothing.