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Oktoberfest London cancelled at last minute
Inexperienced staff and safety breaches were behind the cancellation of Oktoberfest London just half an hour before doors were due to open on Friday.
Thousands had travelled to London’s Tobacco Dock ahead of the event, which was due to run from Thursday 8 October to Sunday. However just half an hour before doors were due to open on Friday, the remainder of the event was abruptly cancelled.
The organisers had hired space from Tobacco Dock in London to host the event, which emulates the original and much larger Oktoberfest held in Munich each year.
It was at first unclear as to why the event had been cancelled at such short notice, with many claiming that the event was “massively oversubscribed” leaving staff unable to cope. However a statement has since been released by Tobacco Dock confirming that low staffing numbers, inexperienced bar staff and the fact that safety guidelines had not been met were the reasons behind its cancellation.
“In line with our policies and terms & conditions of hire, our operations team issued strict operational and safety guidelines throughout the planning process and were unhappy that, at the opening event last Thursday night, these had not been fully implemented”, the statement read.
“The decision was not based on guest numbers nor the nature of the event… but on the management and operational systems and insufficient serving staff both in terms of numbers and experience that had been put in place by Oktoberfest UK.”
Tickets for the event cost £10, or £60 for a premium pass that guaranteed a seat. VIP tables were also available at £1,000 each. The event had been backed by two of the traditional Munich Oktoberfest breweries, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr.
The organisers of the festival were said to be “devastated” at the event’s cancellation, shutting down its website and replacing its homepage with the following statement on Friday evening.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances the OktoberFest London event has been cancelled”, it read. “The ticket holders are requested to keep hold of their tickets for the event, and the company will inform all ticket holders of the procedure for claiming a refund as soon as possible.”
@TobaccoDockLon @OktoberFestLDN Identified last night? Half my industry is due to be there in 15 mins. I’M WEARING LEDERHOSEN IN THE OFFICE.
— DanielleThorsteinson (@DanielleJolee) October 9, 2015
We are devastated for the cancellation of the Oktoberfest events.Be assured that we are currently working to address all necessary issues… — OktoberFest London (@OktoberFestLDN) October 10, 2015
…in the best interest of all concerned. We are doing our best and will provide further updates to you as soon as they become available.
— OktoberFest London (@OktoberFestLDN) October 10, 2015