MUNICH CALLS OKTOBERFEST DUBAI "ABSURD"

For the second year in a row, the coronavirus has forced Germany's Oktoberfest to keep the beer taps closed and the oompah bands at home. But officials in Dubai say you'll get the next best thing at their sprawling German-style booze-up in the desert, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

At the same time as the planned Expo World Exhibition in autumn, Dubai is to stage its own version of the Oktoberfest with beer tents, fairground rides and cheesy German folk music - just like in Munich.

But organizers in Germany don't think any traveler should see Dubai as an alternative to the real deal. Munich celebrated the first Oktoberfest in 1810 when it marked the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig - later King Ludwig I - with Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.

Since then, Oktoberfest has been canceled about two dozen times during its 210-year history, including because of war with Napoleon, the two world wars of the 20th century and cholera outbreaks.

"There is only one genuine Oktoberfest, and that's in Munich," Clemens Baumgaertner, the man tasked with organizing the annual festival on behalf of the Bavarian capital said in response to news that Dubai was planning its own version at the end of April.

"Moving the Oktoberfest to the Gulf "is absolutely absurd," he said, adding that they would investigate legal options to protect Munich's Oktoberfest.

Nevertheless, Dubai organizers are already advertising the event with superlatives, as is customary in the rich Emirate. In terms of area and duration, it is "by far the largest festival in the world," according to a website for the event, which is to run from October 7 to March 31.

Oktoberfest Dubai also wants to break records with the world's longest beer bar, the largest maypole and the biggest beer glass. Organizers expect 4 million guests per month arriving to see 620 businesses spread out over 400,000 square meters.

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