Sydney's most popular attractions - as well as social media feeds - dazzled with colour as thousands of people attended the opening night of light and music festival Vivid.
A throng of onlookers, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and wife Lucy, converged on several locations including the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Taronga Zoo, Darling Harbour and Royal Botanic Gardens on Friday night as the city flicked on a sea of lights.
This year's event has a distinctly indigenous flavour, with opera house projection Songlines featuring the work of six Aboriginal artists, while the musical line-up includes English electro pioneers New Order, US indie-folk group Bon Iver and a DJ set by Icelandic songstress Bjork.
The event, along with the Sydney Swans AFL match at the SCG, put Sydney's public transport network to the test, but Transport NSW recorded no delays.
"The Government's message of taking public transport to see Vivid certainly resonated, with trains and buses proving the most popular mode of transport into the city," NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said.
But with sections of George Street, Argyle Street, Circular Quay West and Hickson Road closed for the evening, some road users did find themselves on the wrong side of the traffic.
"On my way to work only to get stuck in a Vivid Traffic Nightmare. So much hate right now. We all left with plenty of time only to deal with the worst drivers in Sydney!" said Robyn Barry-Cotter on Facebook.
Organisers are hoping this year's visitor numbers will top 2015's record total of 1.7 million.
The event will run until June 18.
