Oktoberfest 2012 begins

The world's largest beer festival, Munich's Oktoberfest, opened over the weekend.
The festival is a 16-day extravaganza of beer and music.
Mayor Christian Ude kicked off the festivities by cracking open the first barrel and crying f "O'zapft is" ("The keg is tapped").
The rain did not put off the punters, with long queues forming around 8am.