A crowd of up to 100,000 spanned from the Domain's grandstand to the War Memorial Museum for a free night of entertainment.
"I can't believe that on Thursday there was a tornado and now we're sitting under a cloudless, blue sky," said North Shore teacher Candice Cain, who arrived more than four hours before the show with blanket and picnic.
While some were disappointed their view was obscured by hundreds of people continually walking six-deep along makeshift aisles, the entertainment shifted into another gear after dark when boy band Titanium and Australian reality TV singing star Guy Sebastian took the stage.
And for those who missed last night's show, another popular event will take place next Sunday when St Paul's Church holds it annual Christmas carol service Carols by Glowstick at Vector Arena. The event starts at 6pm and entry is $5.