Crowds of Christmas revellers in Australia are living it up for the second night in a row – in stark contrast to dreary scenes in Britain, where more of the country faces tightening coronavirus rules on Saturday.
While people in the UK face one of the bleakest Christmases in memory, revellers on the other side of the world are making the most out of the festive season as they continue to party.
In Sydney, merry office workers kissed under the mistletoe as residents of the Australian city basked in its low Covid infection rate.
Work Christmas parties hit the town on Friday night despite a new cluster of cases in the New South Wales capital, with many clearly overdoing the festivities.
People dressed for a night out meet up in Sydney, Australia, today before hundreds went out to celebrate Christmas parties in the city later in the evening
A group of women lose their balance while on a night out in Sydney, Australia, on Friday night while crowds gather outside bars and clubs
Couples went out dancing (left) on Friday night in Sydney, Australia, while revellers out partying had playful scraps (right) ahead of Christmas
Groups mixed while drinking in doors without a face mask in sight as Australia enjoyed the benefits of a low coronavirus infection rate the week before Christmas
A man in a Santa Clause outfit hits the town for Christmas celebrations in Sydney on Friday night. Partygoers in fancy dress were seen falling over and taking late-night breathers on the side of the busy bars and clubs
Security let in groups of Christmas party revellers in Sydney on Friday night as people head out on the town to celebrate the holiday
Couples dance and hug during Christmas celebrations out in the streets of Sydney, Australia, on Friday night
A group of men sit on a yacht in Port Jackson Bay in Sydney for beers on Friday as offices wind down the working year ahead of Christmas
Young women dressed for a night out pose arm in arm for pictures before the Christmas parties began on Friday night in Sydney
Christmas party revellers dance in Sydney tonight while Britons on the other side of the world face tightening restrictions in the run-up to the bleakest of Christmases
Women dance the night away in Sydney on Friday on the second consecutive night of widespread celebrations ahead of Christmas in the city
A group carrying balloons enjoy the night on a Sydney street on Friday. Groups of office workers went out for Christmas parties in the city
The Christmas spirit in Sydney may soon be dampened for some with the news that 270,000 northern beaches residents are in lockdown for the next two days. But that did not stop people going out and enjoying the festivities
Revellers drinking in the street and sat on benches talk to each other while on a wild night out in Sydney, Australia, on Friday
A group of women wear masks as they go out for a Christmas party in Sydney on Friday. Pubs, bars and restaurants in central Sydney were packed with carefree revellers in party mode as they celebrated the festive season and the recent easing of Covid restrictions in NSW
Young women pose arm-in-arm for their Christmas party in Sydney on Friday. It is a stark contrast to Britain where the government has enforced harsher measures across many parts of the country including London in the run-up to Christmas
Huge groups of women dressed for a night out gather in Sydney on Friday before the Christmas festivities begin
Partygoers in fancy dress posed for pictures in the harbour earlier today before heading out for dancing and drinks when night fell.
Yesterday, revellers were seen falling over and taking late-night breathers on the side of the busy bars and clubs.
It is a stark contrast to Britain where the government has enforced harsher measures across many parts of the country including London in the run-up to Christmas.
More than 38million people are in the toughest Tier 3 which sees pubs and restaurants closed except for takeaways.
Revellers enjoy a laugh and a drink on the second day of Christmas parties out in Sydney, Australia, on Friday night
A couple share a passionate kiss outside in Sydney, Australia, while revellers light up the night on Friday
Christmas revellers have a playful scrap on a public bench in Sydney, Australia, as people continue to enjoy festivities in the capital
A couple of young women are seen celebrating on Thursday night in Sydney’s CBD as Christmas parties kicked off around the city
On a day Sydney recorded a 17th new case within 24 hours, there was little social distancing between revellers in the centre of the city
A partygoer shows off their moves to friends as revellers partied well into the night in Sydney’s CBD (pictured on Thursday) despite the looming covid outbreak just a few kilometres away
Revellers in Sydney, Australia, are making the most of their relaxed coronavirus measures, flocking to the bars and clubs in fancy dress for the festive season
For one Mrs Claus, the night had gotten a bit too much as she rested on a bollard in Sydney’s CBD (pictured, left) while another struggled with her sky-high heels
The streets are thronging with people being merry and kissing under the mistletoe as residents of the Australian city bask in its low Covid infection rate
A group of friends take care of a young woman following a string of wild Christmas parties after restrictions eased across Sydney
Work Christmas parties hit the town on Thursday night despite a new cluster of cases in the New South Wales capital, with many clearly overdoing the festivities
Some offices were lucky enough to spend their work Christmas part on yachts as they celebrated in style
But the Christmas spirit in Sydney may soon be dampened for some with the news that 270,000 northern beaches residents are in lockdown for the next two days.
A 17th new coronavirus case within 24 hours was recorded late Thursday afternoon.
The number of infected venues now stands at 30 along with three busy trains as concerned health authorities scramble to track down the source of the shock new cluster.
A couple share an intimate moment in between Christmas celebrations as the festive season kicks off in full force
A couple of friends take a smoke break after Christmas parties kicked off around Sydney this week
Two glamorous women make their way into Sydney’s CBD for a night of celebrations as Christmas rolls around the corner
Partygoers in fancy dress were seen falling over and taking late-night breathers on the side of the busy bars and clubs
Social distancing? In Britain, the government is still urging people to follow strict measures to stop the spread of the virus, but in Sydney, revellers were getting very close to each other
Two revellers enjoy a brief nap after wild Christmas parties hit Sydney on Thursday night (pictured)
Australians are making the most of their relaxed rules while Britons are facing harsher restrictions in the run-up to Christmas
There was little physical distancing on display as revellers hugged and kissed each other, held hands, sat closely together and danced in the streets
Christmas parties in Sydney are in full swing due to recent easing of restrictions, but there are increasing fears of a looming lockdown if the outbreak can’t be contained to the city’s northern peninsula (pictured, two mates out in Sydney on Thursday)
Pubs, bars and restaurants in central Sydney were packed with carefree revellers in party mode as they celebrated the festive season
The Christmas spirit in Sydney may soon be dampened for some with the news that 270,000 northern beaches residents are in lockdown for the next three days
Britain is facing a bleak midwinter, with harsher restrictions coming into force for millions, while Australians are enjoying life cloesr to normality
Bars, pubs and restaurants are all but closed for much of the UK, with those in Tier 3 regions only allowed to serve takeaway food and drinks. In Australia it is a very different story as many packed the venues on Thursday
Sydney-siders were seen dressed in Christmas hats and sombreros as they celebrated well into the evening
As concerned Northern Beaches residents queued to be tested and left supermarket shelves bare amid a return to panic buying, it was a different story on the other side of the Harbour Bridge on Thursday night.
Pubs, bars and restaurants in central Sydney were packed with carefree revellers in party mode as they celebrated the festive season and the recent easing of Covid restrictions in NSW.
There was little physical distancing on display as revellers hugged and kissed each other, held hands, sat closely together and danced in the streets.
Two friends enjoy a catch up at their Christmas party following a tough year of working from home
As thousands of Sydneysiders on the northern beaches were advised to stay at home, it was a different story on the other side of Sydney as carefree revellers embraced friends (pictured, partygoers in Sydney)
An exhausted reveller enjoys a quick siesta after a big night on the town on Thursday night (picture) in Sydney’s CBD as offices enjoyed their Christmas parties
These revellers were in the festive spirit on Thursday night, despite growing fears about a growing coronavirus outbreak over the harbour