The Adesa Pavilion at Labadi Beach Hotel drew a lively, international crowd as Accra staged its annual Oktoberfest celebration over two evenings. Modelled on Munich’s famed festival, the event combined Bavarian tradition with Ghanaian hospitality and attracted locals, expatriates, diplomats and visiting guests to a beachfront programme that blended music, cuisine and communal celebration.
Hundreds attended the two-night festival, which ran each evening from 7:00pm until roughly midnight. The programme was built around live performance and social dining: long communal tables, festoon lighting and floral garlands set a convivial tone, while servers circulated traditional steins and the crowd, many experiencing a themed international festival for the first time, danced and sang together.
Musical highlights included the Bayern Boys Band, flown in from Munich to supply an authentic aural backdrop of oompah, folk instrumentals and drinking songs. Local DJs and acts such as Seydou Magori rounded out the line-up, providing continuity between international repertoire and homegrown rhythms. The result was a soundtrack that kept the pavilion animated across both nights.
Culinary offerings underscored the festival’s cross-cultural purpose. Guests were servedclassic German fare, pretzels, sausages, schnitzel and sauerkraut alongside Ghanaian favourites and inventive fusion dishes. The menu choices were deliberately inclusive, designed both to satisfy traditional expectations of Oktoberfest and to reflect the local palate.
The event opened with a ceremonial pour by the German ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Frederik Landshöft, a civic moment that emphasized the festival’s cultural diplomacy. Labadi Beach Hotel’s Managing Director, David Eduaful, framed the occasion as part of a wider effort to broaden Accra’s leisure offer. “Our goal is to bring the world to Ghana and Ghana to the world,” he said. “Oktoberfest is more than just a party; it’s about creating cultural connections and showcasing our hospitality excellence. It’s also a way of boosting domestic tourism and encouraging Ghanaians to experience something new right here at home.”
Beyond entertainment, the festival produced measurable local benefit. The mobilization of vendors, caterers, event designers, performers and suppliers delivered visible economic activity for the hospitality sector. Organizers noted the spillover effects for nearby businesses and the opportunity the event creates for staff training and supplier development, practical outcomes that sit at the intersection of events and destination development.
Over time, Labadi Beach Hotel’s Oktoberfest has evolved from a niche cultural showcase into a staple on Accra’s social calendar. The festival’s continued popularity signals both a maturing domestic market for themed events and Accra’s growing appeal as a regional hub for leisure and business tourism. For many attendees, the two nights were an introduction to a different tradition; for the city, they underscored how international festivals can be adapted and reimagined without losing their authenticity.
As the final notes faded and the last mugs were raised, the message was clear: Oktoberfest at Labadi is now more than a borrowed tradition. It has become an Accra favorite, an occasion that brings people together through music, food and shared experience, while reinforcing the city’s credentials as a destination for culturally rich, hospitality-led events.
