Edinburgh Oktoberfest – why?
News filtered out at the start of the week that Edinburgh is set to gain yet another festival. This autumn, long after the city’s stages and screens have fallen silent following the August maelstrom, a large, boisterous slice of Germany will arrive in Princes Street Gardens. Auld Reekie – already twinned with Munich – will be inundated with the most infamous of all German parties – Oktoberfest. From the 9th to the 13th of October, a 1,500-seat tent will appear in the red gravel square at the west end of Princes Street, near where the grating tramworks disappear, as they crawl off down Shandwick Place at glacial speed.
The collective knees-up following the gathering of the harvest is one of the world’s largest parties, if numbers of visitors are anything to go by. Millions of people flock to Bavaria each year to take part, joining the long, communal benches early in the day to retain a berth for the evening’s drinking. As it is, Edinburgh already has a hugely popular annual slice of German culture in the shape of the Christmas Market (standing at the back of the mulled rum tent and watching the bickerings of the serving family is one of highlights of the year), so why shouldn’t the city get on board with another bastion of European drinking?
Well, several reasons.
Firstly, what will be unfurled in the large, low space next to Edinburgh’s enormously golden fountain isn’t really Oktoberfest – it’s a corporate version, sanitised and easily packaged; Oktoberfest has become a brand. Full disclosure:- I’ve never been to Munich, but know plenty of people who have, and they tell the oft-told tales of drunken tourists, people pissing and puking where they sit, lie or fall. Do real Germans still go to this kind of thing? Or do they, as I suspect, go to other festivals in Bavaria, and hope the word doesn’t get out?
You might argue that it’s a good thing that Oktoberfest has become sanitised, if this is the perception of it – the principals of the event have been uprooted (almost literally) and carted off around Europe. Let others enjoy the beers, and the pretzels. Let them dress up and have a good time. But this isn’t Oktoberfest, it’s Oktoberfest-lite, for the tourists. The only difference is the festival has come to the tourists, rather than the other way around. I’ll bet the popularity of the Christmas Markets has directly influenced this – there’s clearly money to be made in taking German festivities to the world.
I’m not just being a killjoy for the sake of it. What would I rather see? Well, firstly, a selection of Scottish (or British) beer in Princes Street Gardens instead – an outdoor, autumnal beer festival. Kick up the leaves with a pint of chestnutty bitter. Ward off the cold weather with an imperial porter. The organisers of July’s Scottish Real Ale Festival approached the Council two years ago, enquiring about holding the SRAF in that very space, but were turned down due to the potential problems with serving alcohol there, and the fact that the city’s ‘events calendar’ was full (which I take to be a euphemism for lack of policing).
Or, failing that – let’s have a proper German beer festival. Invite the noble brewers of our famed twin city to come here, to showcase their wares. It doesn’t have to be in September or October – but ask the six breweries if they’d be interested in a real celebration of German brewing. What would be a ‘more authentic experience’? Drinking the products of Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hoffbräu, Lowenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten? Or £3 half-pints of German-brewed, Danish-owned light beer, tipped into Steins? You could even have Scottish beers there too – and maybe then host a reciprocal festival in Germany, spotlighting our brewers to their eager drinkers.
I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong. I’m sure Edinburgh Oktoberfest will be hugely popular – apparently the organisers are hoping for around 7,000 people to turn up and get into the party spirit. With that in mind, they are even renting out Lederhosen and Dirndl. Rather amusingly, once closing on the Sunday, the entire festival will decamp from Edinburgh and set up again in Glasgow, so our friends from along the M8 will be hiring the same tight-fitting clothing immediately afterwards (well-cleaned, I’m sure).
I’m not against Oktoberfest, by any means, or the ideals it has (or used to have). But if you’re going to do something – and display it to others abroad as an authentic experience – at least make it as authentic as you can.
10 Comments
Richard Morrice
June 5, 2013Absolutely right! Let’s celebrate diversity and share authentic experiences in the UK and overseas. The theme park approach is no fun. It lacks imagination and true commitment.
But how can we get that message across without sounding pompous, elitist or kill joy?
Richard Morrice
The50FTQueenie
June 5, 2013It’s utter bollocks – another carnival by Cardownie Man of the people Stevie, designed to gap fill his ‘Festival Tzar’ credential calendar by another corporate arse grab.
I didn’t know CAMRA had been bumped off of Princes Street – shows the utter out of touch with reality thinking that infests our Council. Your suggestion of a Scots / Bavarian beer exchange party is right on the nail.
I was in Muenchen during Oktoberfest 2010 – though not at the actual event and have to say only saw one puke pile all day. I put that down to German efficiency though…
Martin
June 5, 2013What exactly is the beer that will be on sale?
Richard
June 5, 2013A 5% lager brewed in Germany, to a bavarian recipe, by a subsidiary of the Danish brewery Gourmetbryggeri. So not really a true Oktoberfest
Colin Asquith
June 7, 2013I am starting up my own alternative celebration, it will be called Scotoberfest, and will feature a selection of mainly Scottish beers. So far, it’s just me in a bar of my choice. But I can print tickets if anyone wants to join in?
Richard
June 7, 2013I trust you’ll be sporting tartan lederhosen?
Jimmy
June 7, 2013I share the overall scepticism if this visit by Oktoberfest. My friends and I have been to the Munich festival twice now and have another to look forward to this October and their are one or two things wrong with this visit. For one, charging people to enter the tent: the real fest encourages a feel that everyone is welcome without a hint of discrimination. Charging £’s to enter totally goes against the spirit of the event. Two, fries served with the sausages being served?? and three…half pints?? Have the organisers actually been to Oktoberfest?
However, to Richard, basing your opinion of the Munich festival simply on the advice of others is very misguided in this case. Yes, we have witnessed the crazy tourist trap of the Hofbrau tent, but visit on family days or a German holiday and you’ll see whole families visiting together, three to four generations of the one family sitting at the same table, ranging from babies only weeks old to the very elderly. One visit during an afternoon will clearly show that this atmosphere is exactly how our children should be taught how to enjoy alcohol as they grow up andnot through the haze of a 2ltr bottle of cider down the local swing park on a drizzly Friday night.
All I say is jump in and experience it for yourself one year…I guarantee you’ll return a second time.
Pedro
June 15, 2013Hurrah Jimmy! I totally agree. I have been to Münich twice for the beer festival. The first time on an awful backpacker’s holiday that descended on the festivities on opening day, and yes I saw all the horrors that came with the world showing up jet lagged and drinking more steins than recommended. I then visited years later to visit a friend and went a few weeks into the festival and really experienced the true festival and it was all the things you mentioned. Families and friends enjoying one another’s company responsibly partaking in the local beer. A totally different experience to the carnage I had witnessed on my first trip. My humble recommendation. Go to Münich later in the festival and experience the real thing. I also am loving the idea of a reciprocal festival…
flowchart
October 12, 2013i just got back fron the festival and what a hoot man ! so much fun i sent thsi e-mail to the festival’s web sight !
I just went to your Oktoberfest Friday 12th October Edinburgh paid £15 for the ticket expecting seriously quality beer from Germany & German bands and vibe etc … went I lasted 1 hour the beer was rubbish watered down for sure & £8.50 for 1.5 pints… music eh zero German vibe just a joke man really who do you think you are fooling I have drank beer in Germany and German people would have been insulted by the shear totally rip of watered down for sure ( let’s make loads of money beer ) u are an insult to German beer and nothing to do with any real beer festival in Germany
I will never go back… good luck ripping people of for really expensive poor quality beer next year with zero relation to beer festivals in Germany I’m sure u will get away with it….
Bye!
slamdunk
October 13, 2013I totally agree with flowchart. I went on saturday. I have been to the real oktoberfest 3 times and the the event in Edinburgh was not a patch on the real thing.
The beer on sale was not even proper oktoberfest beer. Its a brand sham