Oktoberfest festival ‘unlikely to take place this year’ – Bavarian premier

The annual Oktoberfest, the world’s largest beer festival, is unlikely to take place this year due to the coronavirus crisis, Bavarian premier Markus Soeder said on Thursday.

The Oktoberfest, where revelers sit together at long communal tables, attracts around six million visitors to Munich every year, with many traveling from abroad.

The premier of the southern German state of Bavaria told reporters he was very skeptical whether this year’s festival – scheduled from September 19 to October 4 – could take place. He will make a final decision with Mayor Dieter Reiter in the next two weeks, Reuters said.

The German government and regional state governors agreed on Wednesday to start relaxing some of the lockdown rules introduced last month to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Big events will remain banned until August 31.