Crowd in awe of the power of Zuru Nightglow at Waikato University

Happy birthday rang out across Waikato University on Saturday night as over 10,000 people celebrated Balloons over Waikato's 20th birthday.

The festival started on Wednesday with the morning mass ascension, with balloons taking off daily from Innes Commons.

On Friday night, the city burn market took place with the balloon baskets putting on a fire show choreographed to music, while shoppers were able to browse the local marketplace.

The most anticipated event of the festival was the Zuru Nightglow, with thousands of families packing onto the field at Waikato University.

Theme park rides and a walk through the inside of a balloon provided entertainment while live music played.

The balloon crews would light up their balloons in sequence, following along to the beat of the music. Photo / Tom Rowland

As the clock struck 8pm, the main show began with an entrance from Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, who said he had visited specially for the 20th birthday.

As the other balloons started to light up, the music started playing, which included songs such as Georga Ezra's Shotgun and Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

As the balloons slowly deflated, a laser light-show began shining across the field, before a spectacular fireworks show concluded the event for another year.