Showman at the Lollapalooza Festival in Brandenburg (archive picture from 2017)
Photo: Britta Pedersen / dpa
According to the German Schaustellerbund (DSB), the corona-related cancellation of the Oktoberfest must not automatically mean the end of all German folk festivals.
The association announced that the Oktoberfest is the figurehead of German folk festivals around the world.
It is to be feared that no other popular festivals will follow his example.
The Oktoberfest is not representative of the 9750 other German folk festivals and fairgrounds, said the DSB.
It is "a festival of superlatives".
No other German folk festival draws so many visitors - six million - under its spell.
No other festival is such a strong magnet for millions of tourists from all over Europe, Southeast Asia and the USA, with up to 400,000 guests on a single day.
The family-oriented German folk festival, on the other hand, has a diverse range of options for locals and guests from the surrounding area.
Organizers should take these differences into account.
"The cancellation of the Oktoberfest must not be an indicator that other folk festivals in Germany are prematurely canceled," argued DSB President Albert Ritter.
The organizers should use the last possible time for inevitable cancellations.
"We are ready to go at any time, can usually appear on the festival site within a few days and set up the festival."
ssu / dpa-AFX