Rabat – Despite rumors indicating that the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce canceled the first edition of its planned celebration of Oktoberfest, a traditional Bavarian beer festival, in Morocco, the event will instead be held in private on October 28.
The German chamber recently deleted promotional posts for the festival amid public outrage calling out of the foreign entity for its “heinous” and “unacceptable” event in “the country of Islam,” Morocco.
As of August 4, more than 22,000 Moroccans signed a petition calling for the cancellation of the event.
Quoting internal sources from the German chamber of commerce, Moroccan news outlet Le360 said that the festival will serve halal food alongside alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. “There will be more than just beer,” they stressed.
“It is true that the name Oktoberfest can be confusing, but again it is not a beer festival, the event is private, and we did not expect it to take these proportions on social networks,” they explained.
They added that the networking event seeks to promote exchange between members of the chamber and its partners as well as introduce Moroccans to aspects of German culture.
Read Also: German Beer Festival in Morocco Allegedly Canceled Amid Backlash
The festival is set to include games and a concert led by the German Oktoberfest Band Gaudiblosn, which is known for performing Bavarian music, apre-ski, and Ballermann hits.
Morocco World News contacted the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce via email for a comment but it did not receive a reply.
Originating from Munich, Oktoberfest is an annual event that has attracted six million German and foreign beer lovers over the past years.
Dating back to the marriage of King Louis I and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in October 1810, the two-week long folk festival will be celebrated this year from September 17 to October 1 in Munich and the US.
While it originally celebrated a royal marriage, the festival gradually transformed into a vast food and drinks festivity by the late 20th century. Today, the festivity includes games, amusement rides, music, and dancing.
In Morocco, however, Oktoberfest is being associated with a social issue dividing the public surrounding the consumption of alcohol in Moroccan society. Morocco produces an estimated 40 million bottles of wine alone each year, with 85% of production consumed domestically.
Amid this public debate, some condemned the German event as a “heinous act” while others welcomed the festivity. The discussion has extended beyond the festival itself to review the consumption of alcoholic beverages in a Muslim country and how it contradicts with the values and instructions of Islam.
Read Also: Moroccan Wines: a Pleasant Surprise for Foreign Visitors
