‘Oktoberfest’ cancelled

Press, 31 October 1983, Page 5

‘Oktoberfest’ cancelled

PA Auckland A German-style beer and oompah-music festival which was to have run until last evening was cancelled without warning on Friday evening. The action by the organisers of Auckland’s “Oktoberfest” left hundreds nf angry patrons, many of whom had paid their $lO admission in advance, stranded at the Epsom Showground gates. One disappointed patron, Mr David Koefoed, said they were given no explanation for the cancellation. The festival organiser, Mr Peter Schuck, had a message on his answerphone service which said the fes-

tival was cancelled on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and to telephone again today for more information. The festival had been plagued with problems since the opening night on October 23 when fighting broke out among the capacity crowd of 3000. Then the 16-member German band walked out in protest, saying it had not been paid its agreed fee. The band flew back to Germany today claiming it was owed $20,000. Mr Schuck said that the problem “was a financial problem.” The basic cause of the festival’s closing early was that simply not enough people had bought tickets.