The 16-day long party is a celebration of beer, Bratwurst and all things Bavarian, and there were plenty of lederhosen on show as hundreds of people marched through the centre of Munich in traditional costume.
Oktoberfest is a hugely popular event, and seats in the festival's 14 beer tents are sold out weeks before the start of the celebration.
A record 6.9 million visitors are said to have enjoyed last year's Oktoberfest, consuming 7.5 million litres of beer between them.
During the festival which ends on Sunday October 7, around 8,000 employees serve beer and food for twelve hours a day in the tents, the largest of which can hold up to 10,000 people.
