Oktoberfest opens as revellers flock to world’s largest beer festival in Munich

Munich's Oktoberfest kicked off Saturday with the city's mayor tapping the first keg of beer and opening the 191st edition of the world's largest folk festival.

Mayor Dominik Krause needed only two strokes to tap the barrel, delivering the traditional shout of "O’zapft is" — or "It's been tapped."

Thousands of revellers — women wearing Bavarian dirndls and men in lederhosen — filled the beer tents across Munich’s Theresienwiese fairground early in the morning to secure space on the benches.

Swept up by brass music and freshly poured beer, attendees were soon singing, dancing and swaying.

Alongside the beer, popular food choices included pretzels, pork roast and sausages.

Approximately 6 million visitors are expected over the festival’s 16-day run, which concludes on 4 October. Although the majority arrive from Munich and southern Germany, millions of guests are set to travel from across the nation and around the world.

German authorities tightened security measures, after the festival last year had to close temporarily due to overcrowding.

AI-powered cameras were installed for this year's fest to detect large crowds early on, the German news agency dpa reported.

A ban on knives and flying objects — especially drones — was also in effect. There are entry checks, large bags are prohibited — and smoking marijuana is not allowed.

About 600 police officers are on duty around the festival in addition to Bavarian riot police, specialized pickpocket investigators, and international task forces from eight countries, dpa reported.