Oktoberfest hits Dubai

DUBAI October has become Oktober — that special time of the year again when German brews, sausages and music signal the arrival of Oktoberfest in Dubai.

The festival celebrating German brews, held traditionally in Munich every year, makes its way to Dubai once again for a month of festivities and celebrations. As hotels and venues across the city gear up for a Bavarian weekend, revellers and residents of all nationalities look forward to partaking in the celebrations.

While the event in Germany is considered one of the world’s largest fairs with over six million attendees, German expats in Dubai, on a much smaller scale, also celebrate with as much enthusiasm as if they were back home. Andrea Bauer, a university student, says the celebrations in Dubai always make her feel as if she were back home in Germany.

“I love wearing my Bavarian outfits of daringly low-cut Dirndl dresses.”

Kifah Bin Hussein, Executive Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, Grand Hyatt, says this will be their sixth Oktoberfest. “From October 10 to 27, we’ll celebrate the Bavarian way of life through its hearty cuisine, handicrafts and entertainment. At Grand Hyatt Dubai the world’s largest beer festival is reproduced in the festive atmosphere of a tent decorated in authentic Bavarian style. Performing on stage will be the band Die Kirchdorfer, well-known from the Hacker Tent at Oktoberfest in Bavaria. This year the band has composed a special song for the Grand Hyatt Dubai. Guests can indulge in authentic German cuisine from fresh pretzels and Bavarian weiss-wurst (white sausages) to hendl (chicken), Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) and kaiserschmarrn (German pancakes).”

On Friday, the Dubai Sports City will celebrate in true Bavarian spirit the biggest Wiesn-Party in Dubai, featuring Die Derbys, an original Bavarian band flown from the Munich Oktoberfest. Maqbul Dudhia, Dubai Sports City’s General Manager, Sports Business, said: “This year, we have incorporated long and communal style benches and tables, bull-riding contests and fun activities promising a remarkable evening of celebration and high spirits.”

The German Emirates Club, who are billing their event as the biggest Oktoberfest in Dubai, expects a turnout of over 5,000 people per day to their tent at the Dubai International Marine Club on Thursday and Friday.

For German citizen Bernard A, “It’s the best time of the year. Just about everywhere I go there’s an Oktoberfest celebration going on.”

For those who prefer intimate indoor events, the choice of hotels celebrating the event are aplenty. While the Jumeirah Beach Hotel is hosting a festival every evening until Saturday with a Bavarian menu, the Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel runs their festival until October 31 and the Irish Village also jumps in on the action with a German brauhaus atmosphere, encouraging revellers to clap dance the night away on October 18 and 19.