Ola Emanuel and Jane Peadon first went to Spilt Milk four years ago.

When Ms Emanuel started choking on a burger, her new friend came to her aid. They've been best friends since then.

"I choked on a burger and she saved my life," Ms Emanuel said.

"It was iconic but it was actually quite scary.

"We've been best friends ever since."

Ms Emanuel, a born and bred Canberra girl, travelled all the way from her new home in Adelaide just to make the occasion on Saturday.

This year marked the return of the festival after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Earlier in the day, a number of vehicles caught fire in a car park at the festival. The blaze was extinguished but at least four cars were significantly damaged.

On Saturday festival-goers could be seen throughout the ACT, making their way to Exhibition Park in anticipation of a fun-filled evening.

Lauren Sculthorpe and her friends from the Northern Beaches made the trip to Canberra. It was Ms Sculthorpe's first Spilt Milk festival.

"It's very packed but it has good vibes," she said.

The main drawcard was seeing the artist Flume for many of the punters gathered at the event.

Other acts included Stormzy, The Wombats, G Flip and Canberra's Genesis Owusu.

Festival fashion was at the forefront of the minds of many, as 1960s- and 1970s-inspired outfits reigned supreme.

When it came to what to wear to Spilt Milk, it seemed the brighter and sparklier, the better.

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Pill testing was not available at the festival, but the night before the Canberra testing centre remained open until late in an effort to encourage people to get their drugs tested.

One issue of contention was the long walk to the grounds at EPIC.

Many a blister was sure to result from the distance to get to the front gates of the festival.

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