The past three weeks have been jam-packed full of Festival highlights. We opened with a bang on January 9 with Festival First Night, and saved some of the best til last with Bernstein's Candide at Mazda Opera in The Domain last Saturday night. We asked Sydney Festival Staff for their favourite 'Festival Moment' and here are some of the responses:

"Standing at the barrier as the first A.R. Rahman fans entered the moshpit. They included a 6 month old baby and an 80 year old woman in full sari!"

"Being kissed by Dan Sultan at the Beck’s Festival Bar!"

"Every moment I spent in the Festival Garden."

"Hugs and kisses from the Revered Al Green on arrival at Sydney Airport!"

"Hearing a collective gasp of appreciation in the final scene of Hamlet."

"Sitting in the Spiegeltent singing along with Patrick Watson while the rain bucketed down outside. Magic."

"The bliss that was Toumani Diabaté at the State Theatre."

"Being iOTA’s object of obsession in Smoke & Mirrors (at least until he got closer!)"

"The Arrival, well really, just The Arrival. Glorious."

"Sarah Blasko wrapping thousands of people round her little finger when she performed a cappella in Rogue's Gallery."

"Peter Sellars standing in the middle of the Sydney Festival office yelling “I love you wonderful Festival people!” and the staff erupting in a spontaneous round of laughter and applause."

"Immersing myself in the glory of Oedipus Rex & Symphony of Psalms – feeling the music cleanse my weary body and soul."

"Seeing families playing cricket around Parramatta Park as they waited for A.R. Rahman to take to the stage."

"Leaping to my feet on the last note of The Manganiyar Seduction."

"Watching Hamlet literally eat dirt."

"Looking back at the amazing sea of people at A.R. Rahman, getting emotional at the end of Jai Ho!"

"Opening lines of The Slutcracker: 'Slutcracker….bit of a misnomer really!' "

Read all the 'Festival Moments' written by our staff on the Festival Blog here.