Oktoberfest, the festival that takes place in September 

SINGULARLY misnamed, Germany's world-famous beer festival is a standard part of the calendar in numerous locations in Spain, too, but usually in September – and Torremolinos (Málaga province) is one of the few planning on going ahead with it this year.

Covid safety procedures will be stringent and numbers in beer tents carefully controlled, naturally, with anyone not eating or drinking required to wear a mask – but given how Spanish towns like to celebrate it as a 'Septemberfest' instead, the weather will still be warm and sunny enough for large parts of it to take place in the open air.

Normally, the Torremolinos Oktoberfest would be held in the Plaza de la Nogalera, but due to ongoing building works, it will move to the Plaza del Remo, off La Carihuela beach.

The festival runs from Wednesday, September 8 to Sunday, September 12 inclusive, all drinks, meals and snacks are at 'affordable, token prices', according to the town hall, and the venue is open daily from noon to midnight.

There is no need to book a place in advance – you can just turn up, but may have to wait if the venue is too full to allow social distancing.

There's more to Oktoberfest than beer, but that's a good place to start

Oktoberfest, Germany's most globally-renowned fiesta, is not just a huge beer party, although German real ales are a big part of it; the event is a celebration of the central European nation's culinary and popular culture, with typical foodstuffs – cheese and pretzels for vegetarians who would not partake of the sausages, which are another key element of Oktoberfest – as well as live music, traditional German folk bands plus modern-day pop and rock, and catering hosts and hostesses in typical national or regional costume.

Wearing a dirndl is not compulsory, and even if you aren't a beer fan, you can still enjoy yourself at Oktoberfest, in Germany or Torremolinos, since wine and soft drinks are also served.

'Septemberfest', part of the annual fiesta calendar in many towns

Not everywhere in Spain celebrates Oktoberfest, but it is very typical in towns with a high non-Spanish European population; even where Germans are not the majority foreign community, given that the festival is hugely popular with numerous nationalities.

And if Germans are, in fact, one of the largest foreign communities in a given town, you can expect Oktoberfest to be even bigger and more authentic.

As well as Torremolinos, which has been staging it annually since 2015 – last year's was called off – the Alicante-province coastal town of Calpe, famous for its Gibraltar-style rock, also holds a massive Oktoberfest; it's the most famous on the whole of the Costa Blanca, sees over 18,000 litres of beer served up in commemorative tankards, and has been a firm date in its diary for the past 34 years.

Last year, for the first time, Calpe Oktoberfest was due to move a few towns south to La Nucía, but the pandemic put paid to it.

It is not clear whether it will go ahead this year and, if so, whether it will be in Calpe or La Nucía – it would seem unlikely at this stage, but fingers crossed for 2022.

Other than in 2020 and, it seems, in 2021, Oktoberfest is also huge in Palma de Mallorca, Zaragoza and, naturally, Madrid and Barcelona – fans, regulars and first-timers who had always wanted to check it out and fill their plates and glasses are hoping fervently that, with Spain's vaccine roll-out now hitting the 70% mark (in the Comunidad Valenciana, where Calpe is, over 80% now), next year's will be back on track.

And even if you're not on the Costa del Sol and have to wait another year for Spain's home-grown versions, it saves getting a flight to Germany and paying for the requisite PCRs involved in international travel at the moment.

Plus, it's certainly warmer in Torremolinos – and Calpe and Palma – in September than it would be in Munich in October. 

Why Oktoberfest in September is a good idea

September is still very much summer on Spain's south and east coasts – temperatures are not as high as in July and August, but the sun is lower in the sky which makes it feel hotter and brighter, yet the humidity is much reduced, so it comes with all the light and warmth of an ideal summer but without the sweaty discomfort or intensity; this means expats and Spaniards alike often say the best weather all year is that of September.

Also, the back-to-school month counts as 'winter' in tourism industry terms, as most Spaniards take their holidays from work in July and August, even if they do not have children due back in class in September; foreign holidaymakers thin out, too, especially families, so packed-out summer hotspots suddenly get quieter about now, despite the excellent weather.

In a nutshell, then, Oktoberfest, where it takes place in Spain, is essentially a summer festival – and, as well as a joy in itself, is a great way to learn about the cuisine and leisure culture of another European country.

Torremolinos' councillor for expats, Aida Blanes, says around 25% of this Costa del Sol town's population was born abroad, which she qualifies as a 'privilege' as it means the lively, cosmopolitan community can get to know about how different societies live, work, rest and play.