Oktoberfest on hold for the first time since World War IIOktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival, which this year has been cancelled to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. This year's cancellation of Munich's Oktoberfest, which was announced in April, is the first one since World War II, but is not, however, the first in the folk festival's 210-year history, Deutschewelle reports. Oktoberfest was also canceled in 1866 during the Austro-Prussian War, and during both world wars. "Since that time, we hope that the Oktoberfest will never be canceled again," Munich's official city website once said about the celebration. This year's canceled Oktoberfest comes on the heels of the highest daily infection toll in Germany since April, and a rising number of cases in both Bavaria and its capital, Munich.

Source: The Standard September 20, 2020 06:11 UTC