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Munich Oktoberfest Ride Gives Free Shorts to Women to Combat Upskirting Videos
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News18•03-10-2026, 12:12
Munich Oktoberfest Ride Gives Free Shorts to Women to Combat Upskirting Videos
- •Women riding the Teufelsrad (Devil's Wheel) at Munich Oktoberfest are receiving free cycling shorts from the ride operator.
- •The initiative aims to prevent voyeuristic videos of women being filmed from underneath as their skirts or dirndls fly up on the spinning platform.
- •The 80-year-old operator, Elisabeth Polaczy, has been offering shorts for three years, distributing over 100 pairs this Oktoberfest alone to ensure riders feel secure.
- •Upskirting, filming under someone's skirt, is illegal in Germany and carries a prison sentence of up to two years, though campaigners note limitations in current legislation.
- •Reports indicate over 32,000 videos featuring women on the Teufelsrad have circulated online, with some attracting millions of views, prompting police campaigns and arrests at the festival.
Key Questions Answered
Women and girls wearing skirts or traditional dirndl dresses are given free cycling shorts to prevent voyeuristic videos and upskirting from being filmed as they ride the Teufelsrad, or Devil's Wheel.
The Teufelsrad, or Devil's Wheel, is a giant rotating platform at the festival where riders struggle to keep their balance as the platform spins faster until they are eventually thrown off.
Ride operator Elisabeth Polaczy has been handing out free cycling shorts to female visitors for the past three years, while Bavarian police have run anti-upskirting poster campaigns since 2025.
