An alcohol ban doesn't seem to have put a damper on this year's Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park.
A huge crowd turned out to Auckland Domain for the 20th edition of the event on a day when the mercury topped 26C.
Christmas in the Park spokeswoman Deborah Delaney, who's beeninvolved with the show for the past 17 years, said this year's event was "the best one ever".
"I thought the crowd was a little thin at the start but after about half an hour it was just chocker," she said. Although the event was not ticketed, she estimated about 200,000 went to the show. "The feedback and general feeling were positive," she said.
Alcohol was confiscated from a few people, but overall it was "no issue".
The crowd was wooed by performers including Stan Walker, Frankie Stevens and X Factor winner Jackie Thomas and runner-up Benny Tipene.
Six-year-old Red Beach School pupil Hannah Underwood had the honour of switching on the lights of the 21m solar-powered tree after winning a competition run by power company Vector.
