Cambodia's annual Oktoberfest returns to Phnom Penh on October 25th and 26th, 2024
At this point, most people around the world have heard of Oktoberfest. The raucous and joyful celebration of beer, food and music – which takes place in Munich and sees 7.3 million visitors over eighteen days – has been exported to nations far flung from the Bavarian slopes where it originated in 1810. In Southeast Asia, interest in the German festival has increased steadily over the past decade, with the success of Oktoberfest Cambodia being a prime example of the enthusiasm local audiences have shown for the party.
First launched in 2008 by the German Business Group in Cambodia (GBC) as a cross-cultural celebration of German and Cambodian heritage, Oktoberfest Cambodia hosts a traditional band and has become a highly-anticipated event among partiers and beer lovers in the Kingdom’s capital.
This October, the festival is back with a bang, with a great original live band and all the food and beer that made it a success during its heydays. And while much of the festival’s appeal comes from – you guessed it – beer, if you ask any Oktoberfest veteran, the party just wouldn’t be the same without its traditional Bavarian music.
“The music is what brings everyone together; it gets everyone excited and ready to have a good time,” said Micheal Knapp, singer and frontman for the German band O’zapft. “It’s an important part of the tradition and heritage of Oktoberfest.”
He should know. Micheal and his compatriots in O’Zapft travel the world as unofficial Oktoberfest ambassadors, supplying tunes for the celebration and setting the joyous mood with music. O’Zapft plays at the hugely successful festivals in HCMC, Hanoi and Danang as well as Oktoberfest in Bangkok. The band’s name – Bavarian for “It’s tapped!” – is taken from the exclamation commonly shouted at the beginning of festivities as the inaugural keg is opened and the first mugs of beer poured.
Often referred to as Volksmusic, the oom-pah rhythms, brass instruments and accordions typical of the style are today complemented by popular, sing-along crowd favourites (think “Sweet Caroline”) and have become inextricably tied to the festival itself.
When combined with the long tables that set the communal mood and traditionally-garbed beer maids, the festival’s music transports revellers to the beer halls of Munich. For German-born Tassilo Brinzer, president of the GBC and one of the individuals responsible for organising Oktoberfest Cambodia, this was the goal all along.
“Oktoberfest is such a fun way to get people together and get a taste of something that is so quintessentially German while hugely popular around the world,” he said. “The German community at the time wanted to share this festival with our peers in Phnom Penh. We have come together and enjoyed the festival dancing and partying ever since. And just like us, Cambodians love a good beer, hearty food and to party. This is what we do together.”
Oktoberfest Cambodia 2024 will kick off on Friday October 25th, with music and revelry covering two days at the Connexion Community Building on Phnom Penh’s Koh Pich, and ending with a huge party on Saturday the 26th.
Visitors enjoy all-you-can-eat German delicacies from Hops Restaurant’s popular Friday barbecue, as well as free flow beer in a complimentary, commemorative beer mug given to all guests.
And though this is just another stop on their circuit, for O’Zapft’s Micheal, every performance is another chance to share his culture and make sure the people are having a fantastic time.
“We’ve been doing this for a while, and now, for the first time ever in Cambodia. Once the beer starts flowing and people are singing and dancing on the tables, it’s just as exciting as the first time we played together,” he said. “There really is no other party quite like Oktoberfest.”
Visit the Oktoberfest Cambodia Facebook page to learn more about this year’s event.
