Sun-bathed Berne was a sea of orange flecked with blue today as thousands of Dutch and Italian fans arrived in the Swiss capital for the match between Netherlands and Italy.
Dutch followers sported all manner of orange headgear and clothing, from stetsons and top hats decorated with miniature soccer pitches to garish dungarees and boiler suits, while brass-band music and singing rang out around the city centre.
Berne police commander Stefan Blaettler said as many as 60,000 supporters were expected, arriving on several hundred coaches and special trains, with most heading to the fan zones to watch the action from.
"We don't see this match as representing any particular security risk," Blaettler told a news conference. "There may be some excessive drinking but that's about all."
Legions of horn-honking Dutch fans formed a procession to the Stade de Suisse a few hours before kickoff against world champions Italy, winding through the city behind an orange double-decker bus.
One car was covered with tulips and another was decorated with a giant clog. Prince Willem-Alexander of Orange, first in line to the Dutch throne, was also expected in Berne later on today, organisers said.
Rotterdam couple Paul Hirschel and Caroline Dessing caught the eye dressed as legendary Swiss hero William Tell and 'Sissi', or Elisabeth, Empress of Austria respectively.
"Every major championships we go to we get a friend in Germany to make up costumes for us with a special theme," said 47-year-old Dessing wearing a huge hat with an apple on the top.
"We like to think it's a way of promoting friendship and bringing countries together."
Berne residents came out on to the streets to join the fun at the first of three matches in the city and the route to the stadium was lined with stalls selling beer and sausages.
"For us residents it's a bit chaotic but it's all good fun," said smiling 66-year-old pensioner Renate Messerli.
Small groups of Italian fans were mingling with the Dutch, many wearing shirts proclaiming their nation's status as world champions and taking photographs of their rivals.
"The Dutch are real fans," said flag-draped sporting goods supplier Roberto Provvido, who drove four hours from Milan on Saturday with friends and planned to return after the match.
"They really come together for their country," he added, as he walked to the stadium. "We Italians are a bit different and tend to be more for our clubs than the national side."
Davide Cifrodelli, a 27-year-old heating technician of Italian origin from near Zurich, said touts wanted 1,000 Swiss francs (€626.08) for each ticket which he could not afford.
"Five or six hundred would be okay but we'll probably end up in the fan zone for the match," he said.