For the second year in a row, Germany's Oktoberfest festivities have been canceled because of COVID-19.

The announcement was made on Monday by Bavaria's premier Markus Soeder, who said it was with a "heavy heart" that Bavarian officials had to cancel the event because of safety concerns.

He argued that large crowds, the possibility of new variants of COVID-19 and the alcohol consumed during the festival would have made it difficult to host it safety. 

But he added that "Oktoberfest will be held again and will be big again."

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Oktoberfest usually attracts around 6 million visitors to Germany every year, and generates around $1.4 billion for the local economy. 

This year will also mark the second time since World War II that the festival has been canceled, a rare occurrence in its 211-year history.

Since it started, it has only been called off 26 times. And COVID-19 is not the only illness to force the beer tents to close. In both 1854 and 1873, the festival was canceled because of cholera epidemics.

While Oktoberfest was also axed last year, smaller parties still took place under strict guidelines and there is still a possibility that those open-air gatherings could take place again this year in beer gardens and on patios.