Over 50 years of Oktoberfest music in Australia: the band Schwarzwald celebrates the Bavarian culture

Australian Peter Verheyen has been performing on Australian stages with the Oktoberfest band "Schwarzwald" for more than 35 years. At the age of 17, he made his debut with the band, which was founded in the 1960s by his father Theo. Decades later, he performs on stage with the same enthusiasm as back then. SBS met up with the entertainer at the Munich Brauhaus in Melbourne and talked to him about his extraordinary music career.

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Thousands of visitors: The band Schwarzwald at the Oktoberfest in Townsville, Queensland. Credit: Schwarzwald

Peter Verheyen performing with the band Schwarzwald at the Munich Brauhaus in Melbourne. Credit: SBS / Daniel Georgakos