Oktoberfest and Sex Work: How Lucrative Is the Wiesn Really?

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Oktoberfest and Sex Work: How Lucrative Is the Wiesn Really.

Munich is gripped by Wiesn fever – and it hits hotels, taverns, and one industry particularly hard, one that's rarely talked about openly: sex work. A new Stern Panorama video takes a look behind the scenes. At the center: Stefan Pfaffl, operator of the FKK Club Fantasy in Munich, who openly assesses in the film what the festival weeks mean for his business and for the women who work in his club.

It's not just about the rush and the regulars, but also about prices, procedures, and the question of how much sex work really brings in around the Wiesn – for the club, for the women.

What the video shows

Stefan Pfaffl is no stranger to Munich's nightlife. With FKK Club Fantasy, he runs an establishment that's open all year round – and during the Wiesn weeks takes on a rhythm all its own.

In the video he talks about the rush and regular clientele, about the dynamic between demand and capacity, and above all about what the two festival weeks mean economically for him and the sex workers. Anyone who wants to hear concrete figures is best off going straight to the video itself.

Oktoberfest: more than beer and roast chicken

The Oktoberfest is, by its own account, the world's largest folk festival. Every year, millions of visitors pour onto the Theresienwiese and into the city – and the effects reach far beyond the festival grounds.

What the two festival weeks mean for Munich's sex work doesn't show up in any official economic report. That makes personal insights like the current video all the more valuable – straight from the scene, without sugarcoating.

More from Munich and around the Wiesn

Want more background on the Wiesn, on Munich's nightlife, or on industries that are missing from the official reports? We tell stories from the city – with respect for the people who work in them.