Oktoberfest, Germany's famed beer festival which draws millions of visitors from around the world, has opened in Munich after a two-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In its 200-year history, the world's biggest folk festival has been cancelled just 26 times, mostly due to World Wars I and II but also twice due to cholera outbreaks.
The last time the festival was held in 2019, the 6.3 million guests drank more than 7.3 million litres of German beer. Munich mayor Didier Reiter kicked off the ceremony by opening a beer keg with a hammer blow and offering the first tankard to the head of the regional government Markus Soeder.
The festival will run until 3 October with no restrictions and no face masks will be necessary. Oktoberfest generates about €1.2 billion in income.