Thousands of people have attended a carnival in south Belfast to mark the end of a nine-day festival celebrating global cultures.
Organisers of the Belfast Mela say it is more important than ever following a number of racist attacks in Northern Ireland during the past year.
A carnival parade and concerts in the city's botanical gardens brought the festival to a close.
Floats, dancers, musicians and a dragon or two created a colourful spectacle, with 25 nationalities and cultures represented in the parade and musical performances.
Organisers say the celebration of cultural diversity is more important then ever.
"This is the only intercultural event on the Belfast calendar to celebrate our diversity, welcome everybody and be part of the city," said Nisha Tandon, founder of Belfast Mela and director of ArtsEkta.
"Arts and culture is the one thing which has got no barriers, and we should be reaching out.
"It's sad to see what was happening at the back of last year and sometimes this year as well in Ballymena, but you know what, we shouldn't be dividing, we should be uniting and arts and culture is that tool."
Belfast's Lord Mayor told the crowd the festival had filled Belfast "with magic and celebration."
"You continue to remind us how embracing and celebrating diverse culture traditions brings richness, connection, and joy to our everyday lives," said DUP councillor Tracy Kelly.
"It's amazing to bring communities together in this way."
On a more sombre note, a minute's silence was observed for the victims of the war in Ukraine, and the country's national anthem was sung to mark its Independence Day.
"This is a very important day for us and for all Ukrainians," said Kateryna Zaichyk of the Ukrainians in Northern Ireland Community Group.
"This is a symbol of uniting, a symbol of strength, a symbol of power. It's very important to unite together, to stand with each other, to show the important support to each other, and to send a message of support to those who are still in Ukraine fighting."
SDLP leader and MP for South Belfast Claire Hanna was among those who attended and described it as a wonderful event.
The Belfast Mela has now been going for 19 years and the organisers say the fact that it has got bigger each year demonstrates that, despite some negative headlines, the city is increasingly becoming culturally diverse.
