They came, they saw, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
The ODT's Big Night In has been declared an overwhelming success after Dunedin's indoor stadium was packed for Otago's biggest community concert tonight.
The buzz in the stadium said it all as families grooved in the stands and children ran around and enjoyed themselves dancing on the pitch.
"It's great to see so many people turning out to a community event," ODT editor Murray Kirkness said.
"It's our way of saying thanks to all our readers and advertisers and we've been overwhelmed with the response. We hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did."
Thousands packed Forsyth Barr Stadium to celebrate the concert marking 150th anniversary of the Otago Daily Times.
The crowd was treated to an unusual surprise when Allied Press managing director Julian Smith and his brother Nick Smith were joined on stage by Malcolm Farry, stadium CEO David Davies and Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull for rousing renditions of 'We will rock you' and 'We are the champions' - all of them dressed in Otago Rocks t-shirts.
More than 50 singers and dancers - including the cream of Otago's young performers - took the stage during the evening.
They were joined by a host of national and international stars, including Tina Cross, Ainslie Allen, Jackie Clarke and Chris Fennessy, and the night ended with a spectacular pyrotechnics display.