The world’s biggest beer festival, Oktoberfest, has been cancelled for this year, due to concerns that it would pose a significant public heath risk due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The annual Bavarian celebration – which is particularly key for fancy dress and traditional costume business – has been held annually for more than 200 years and is a major event in the German calendar, attracting around six million visitors a year. Revenue from last year’s Oktoberfest last year was around €1bn (£870m).
This year’s festival was due to take place in Munich, the Bavarian capital, from 19 September to 4 October, attracting visitors from around the world. Thousands of mini-Oktoberfests take place globally and are expected to still go ahead, although that will depend on the regional restrictions in place at the time.
“Living with coronavirus means living carefully,” said Markus Söder, the premier of Bavaria. “As long as there is no vaccination, we need to be very sensible. We are in mutual agreement that the risk is quite simply too high… compromises will not help.”
Some areas in Germany have started to relax lockdown measures, but larger events remain banned until 31 August 2020.
