In this Sept 19, 2015 file photo, people celebrate the opening of the 182nd Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, southern Germany. Bavarian state governor Markus Soeder and Munich mayor Dieter Reiter announced at a news conference that the Oktoberfest is cancelled this year because of the coronavirus outbreak. (MATTHIAS SCHRADER / AP)

BERLIN — Germany’s Oktoberfest, the world’s largest folk festival, where revellers from all over the world gather to swig large quantities of beer, has been cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis, the southern state of Bavaria said on Tuesday.

Around six million partygoers gather every year in Munich for the two-week long festivities, held in packed tents with long wooden tables and oompah bands, which makes more than 1 billion euros (US$1.08 billion) for Munich.

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This year’s Oktoberfest had been scheduled to take place from Sept 19 to Oct 4. 

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