More than 40 individual events were on offer, many performing in New Zealand for the first time.
Here are some of my festival highlights.
Funniest act: Tricicle. Tricicle. Tricicle. The Spanish funny men had the crowds eating out of their hands. Any group of grown-ups running around in oversized nappies and fighting over a giant beach ball has our vote.
Most disappointing act: Barrage's cancellation. Hello? Hello . . . is anybody there?
Sexiest act (female): Christchurch singer/songwriter/siren LA Mitchell was simply stunning at the Ballantine's Festival Club.
Sexiest act (male): A dead heat between Mikelangelo (Michael Simic) and Rafino the Catalan Casanova (Philip Branson), of Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen.
The why-did-you-do-that? performance: Saxcess in the intimate Ballantine's Festival Club. Beautiful saxophone music spoiled by microphones. An acoustic set would have been a winner.
Best line: "Thank you for liking me" - Rafino the Catalan Casanova, of Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen.
Most moving performance: On the final night of Strange Resting Places, a group of Maori elders rose after the play to sing a spontaneous tribute to the cast. My blood went cold.
Strangest act: Australian pianist David Helfgott. As ODT reviewer Daryl Baser wrote: "Shine on you crazy diamond."
SPCA award for kindness to animals: Michael Simic, of Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, who, after spotting a guide dog at one of his performances, knelt down and gently crooned to the nonplussed hound.
The Southern pride performance: Seeing the Caselberg Trust "Nine Artists in Fiordland" exhibition opening at St Paul's Cathedral was a reminder of how much creative talent there is in this city.
The packed cathedral also showed how proud we are of our artists.
The I-can't-believe-we-did-that-here performance: The Daniel Belton and Good Company Arts film Matchbox is world-class. And it was made right here in Dunedin.
Best play: Jane Eyre was absolutely top-shelf and everything we have come to expect of the Fortune Theatre.
Honourable mention: Dunedin playwrights Sarah McDougall (Things I Hate about Mother) and Emily Duncan (Palliative Care) showed that local drama is up there with international plays.
Most spectacular act: The Camut Band's performances of percussion and dance would be very hard to beat.
Funniest performer moment: Jonathon Miro, of Tierra Flamenca, putting his foot through the Kavanagh College auditorium floor on Thursday night.
Honourable mention: Michael Simic, of Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, falling off a table during a song on Wednesday night. He chuckled, climbed back on to the table and promptly fell off again.
Most bizarre story: Joseph Hatch, the entrepreneurial penguin-renderer, in Hatch, or The Plight of the Penguins.
The once-in-a-lifetime performance: The gathering of Burns Fellows to mark the 50th anniversary of the fellowship at the weekend was unprecedented and unlikely ever to be repeated. Well, at least until the 100th, I suppose.
Most interesting act: William Yang's China was a fascinating journey with a very interesting, candid and humble man. It felt like a privilege to be there.
Most dramatic act: Southern Opera's production of Il Trovatore at the Mayfair Theatre was simply breath-taking. Thank you Southern Opera and come back soon.
Touching moment: At the conclusion of Il Trovatore on Saturday night, you could hear the Southern Opera troupe behind the curtain yelling and hollering with joy. Mission accomplished. It was a touching reminder of how much performers cherish an enthusiastic audience and putting on a great show.
