NEWS
Germany’s Oktoberfest Canceled for First Time Since WWII
Source: EPA
One of the most important and biggest celebrations in Germany, one that draws tourists from around the globe, has been canceled due to the coronavirus. The news has come as a sobering announcement to many, given it was due to take place five months from now.
According to the AFP, Germany’s Oktoberfest has been canceled for the first time since World War II.
🔴BREAKING – Germany's famous #Oktoberfest beer festival has been cancelled due to the #coronavirus Bavaria's state premier announces. pic.twitter.com/9gbL4jKx97
— DW Business (@dw_business) April 21, 2020
The beer-guzzling celebration, which takes place each year from late September through October in Bavaria, was expected to draw approximately 6 million visitors. However, with no vaccine for COVID-19 currently in place, officials felt hosting Oktoberfest would be too dangerous.
“Living with the coronavirus means living carefully,” Bavaria state premier Markus Soeder said in a statement.
The AFP reports this isn’t the first time illness has forced the cancellation of the Bavarian fest, writing, “cholera kept the beer tanks empty in 1854 and 1873.”
