After a morning of tragedy, the Women's World Cup went ahead with an opening ceremony built around a theme of unity.
A shooting in downtown Auckland earlier on Thursday, which left three dead, gave pause for thought on the appropriateness of festivities.
There was an uneasiness in a city flicking the switch from horror to revelry so quickly, with FIFA and the New Zealand government opting to go ahead.
Perhaps the alternative - to deny the performers and footballers their moment in the world's gaze - was even less desirable than cancelling.
And so on the show went, a brief but dazzling display rich with Maori and First Nations traditions and imagery, showcasing both New Zealand and Australian heritage and landscapes.
A giant whai, or stingray, and rainbow serpent covered the pitch, where a Maori call was followed by an Australian First Nations response.
A haka - what else, at the All Blacks' house of pain, a koha - or offering - and the hongi - the treasured Maori greeting - represented the unity of the two Indigenous peoples.
Then came a "unity dance" with performers clad in the colours of all 32 competing nations, which more closely resembled a primary school lunch break with kids scattered across the oval.
The 10-minute show then wrapped with pop stars Benee, of Auckland, and Brisbane's Mallrat, who performed the official song: Do it Again.
It was exuberant but not overly extravagant, and appropriately followed by a minute's silence, which will also be observed at Thursday night's Australia-Ireland match in Sydney.
Auckland's Fan Festival site, The Cloud, was in close proximity to the shooting, with officials opting to delay opening until Friday.
Alongside the trans-Tasman ceremony, the night had a distinctly Kiwi flavour.
The estimated 40,000 in attendance were given a poi, a prop used in Maori performance, to be used in displays en masse in the stands.
On the poi was a QR code leading to an explanation of Maori traditions and the Poi Tukua movement, which "aims to cement poi as an international symbol of empowerment" for women athletes.
