Oktoberfest free shorts are being handed to women riding one of Munich’s oldest fairground attractions, but the unusual gesture has little to do with comfort. At the Teufelsrad, or Devil’s Wheel, the shorts are intended to protect women from being secretly filmed under their skirts as the fast-moving ride sends them tumbling across its spinning platform.
The Teufelsrad is one of the long-standing attractions at Munich’s Oktoberfest, Germany’s famous annual beer festival. The ride consists of a large circular platform that spins at increasing speed, eventually throwing riders off as they try to stay on their feet.
That movement can cause skirts and dresses to fly up, creating an opportunity for people standing around the attraction to use their phones to record what is happening beneath them. The resulting videos can then be shared online, turning a traditional fairground attraction into a source of voyeuristic material.
The operator of the ride, Elisabeth Polaczy, has responded by offering free cycling shorts to women and girls who arrive wearing dresses. Speaking to the BBC, Polaczy said she provided more than 100 pairs during this year’s Oktoberfest because she wanted riders to feel secure while taking part in the attraction.
For Polaczy, the cost of providing the shorts is less important than preventing women from being exposed without their consent. The measure is particularly relevant to visitors wearing traditional dirndl dresses, which are commonly worn at Oktoberfest and can be lifted by the force and movement of the ride.
The problem goes beyond embarrassing moments on the platform. According to German broadcaster BR, images taken at the attraction have included photographs that reveal women’s underwear. Some images have also reportedly been digitally manipulated to falsely make women appear naked.
Upskirting, the practice of deliberately filming or photographing beneath someone’s clothing without their consent, is illegal in Germany. Those convicted can face a prison sentence of up to two years.
However, the law may not cover every situation that can occur around the ride. Josephine Ballon, head of German non-profit Hate Aid, told the BBC that the existing law is aimed at cases where someone deliberately records beneath another person’s clothing. She said there can be questions about how the law applies when a skirt is unexpectedly lifted by the movement of the ride and someone captures the resulting image.
The scale of the problem has also raised concern in Munich. The Suddeutsche Zeitung reported that more than 32,000 videos featuring women on the Teufelsrad have circulated online, with some reportedly receiving millions of views.
The financial incentive can also be significant. The BBC, citing BR, reported that one woman made 9,000 euros, or about 7,650 pounds, from a single clip. A BR investigation found that some of the people involved included a group of professional YouTubers from Ukraine as well as individuals from Bavaria.
The police response has increased alongside concern about the videos. In 2026, police arrested a 45-year-old Swiss man accused of using his phone to film beneath the dirndl of a German woman. Ten people were arrested for upskirting at Oktoberfest in 2025, while seven arrests were recorded in 2024.
The issue has prompted calls for stronger action against both the people who create and distribute such material and the platforms that host it. Ballon has argued that people who publish intimate images of women online should also face penalties, alongside greater responsibility for the platforms where the material appears.
Bavarian police have also been running an anti-upskirting campaign at Oktoberfest since 2025. Posters placed around the festival warn visitors that filming beneath another person’s clothing is a criminal offence.
The free cycling shorts at the Teufelsrad are therefore more than an unusual addition to the ride’s operation. They are a practical response to a problem that has grown alongside the widespread use of smartphones and the rapid circulation of video online. For women stepping onto one of Oktoberfest’s oldest attractions, the shorts offer an extra layer of protection before the platform starts spinning.
