The non-alcoholic zone was teeming with revelers, yet despite the heavy presence of the riot squad, the well-behaved crowd ensured there were no arrests.

A popular Sydney beach was transformed into a lively party scene as thousands gathered to enjoy a sun-soaked Christmas celebration far from their homeland.

This year saw a change in plans after Waverley Council discouraged the traditional backpacker gathering at Bronte Beach, a decision influenced by the recent Bondi incident.

As a result, the festive crowd shifted their celebrations to Coogee Beach instead.

“We initially went to Bronte Beach, but it was pretty quiet. Someone suggested Coogee, so we hopped into a taxi, and it’s much livelier here,” a reveler shared with 9News.

Firefighters were called in to put out a small barbecue fire that started to spread but otherwise, police only needed to keep an eye on the crowd.

Previous celebrations attracted criticism for the mess left behind and today a single guard from Randwick City Council was on patrol, urging the crowd to leave the area as they found it.

But there’s already plenty of rubbish strewn across the area, with a big clean up sure to follow on Boxing Day.