Munich mayor Christian Ude has opened the 176th Oktoberfest beer festival with the traditional cry of "It's tapped!"

It took Ude just two swift strokes to pound a spigot into the first massive keg of beer. Following festival protocol, he handed the first liter mug, called a "Mass," to Bavarian Governor Horst Seehofer.

A 12-gun salute signaled that it was time to start serving the public.

The 16-day festival is a huge tourist draw for this southern German city. This year, 6 million visitors from all over the world are expected to prowl Munich's sprawling 77-acre (31-hectare) Theresienwiese grounds.

Every year, visitors down more than 1.6 million gallons (six million liters) of beer and eat around 500,000 chickens and 100 oxen.