The sunny day helped to raise Carnival's spirits yesterday, and float makers did not need to worry about the survival of their year-long work.

The colourful floats dominated the terminus outside City Gate, replacing the smoke-belching buses. Carnival entered its second day yesterday, kicking off with a focus on the children at Freedom Square, Valletta, where their dances and a défile took over.

Families trickled into Valletta throughout the afternoon for the event that continues to enthral children. It is primarily the toddlers who get dressed up - and most elaborately.

A group of Swiss said they visited Malta specifically for Carnival, and it was their third time. They were not just spectators but dressed for the occasion.

The Carnival dancing competitions hit Freedom Square in the afternoon, together with the King Carnival, triumphal and company floats, which invaded the enclosure to the tune of blaring music.

The activity was intended to carry on into the early hours for the first time, with a band and dance parade along Valletta's main streets and Carnival parties spilling out of the main squares.

The traditional Kukkanja was also revived after about a 10-year absence from Carnival, with the maypole-like structure that dates back to the Knights, was erected within the Royal Opera House ruins for games and entertainment.

Carnival continues today, with dancing competitions starting at 2.30 p.m. and the defile along Merchants, St John's and Republic streets to the enclosure.