Wellingtonians turned out in their thousands to meet the stars and witness the spectacle of the latest 'Avatar' movie premiering in NZ's capital city.

Not since Peter Jackson's 'Hobbit' films has Wellington seen a movie event of this scale, and the atmosphere was electric as crowds crammed along the barriers outside The Embassy Theatre.

Some were waving Avatar flags, others were clutching photos hoping to get an autograph, and a few were in full Na'avi cosplay, painted blue from head to toe. 

The neighbouring bars were packed with onlookers too, and some even opted to clamber onto a bus stop to get a glimpse of the action. 

As anticipation built for the arrival of Oscar-winning director James Cameron and stars like Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Cliff Curtis (Tonowari) and Jack Champion (Spider), a kapa haka group took to the stage to begin the evening's formalities. 

The group performed several waiata and a haka in front of the Avatar backdrop, with jets of flame shooting into the sky behind them. 

As the A-listers began to walk the red carpet, they stopped to give out high-fives, hugs, signatures and selfies.

The main stage was MCed by renowned entertainment journalist Kate Roger, who welcomed James Cameron. He was met with wild applause before thanking all of Wellington, calling it "the best city in the world".

Also in attendance were creatives from the world-leading visual effects and animation powerhouse, Wētā FX, who spent countless hours bringing Cameron's vision to the big screen.

They say you can't beat Welly on a good day, and with not a cloud in the sky, a street full of fans and a red carpet full of celebrities, it certainly was a GREAT day for the windy city.