A crowd of 80,000 people turned out to watch the pinnacle of Melbourne’s four-day Moomba Festival, the Moomba Parade, as it wound its way up St Kilda Road Monday morning.

Fourteen wild and wonderful floats, half of them designed by children, were interspersed with 2,000 performers who danced, sang and played as onlookers watched from the sidelines.

Green aliens in a UFO were followed by dancers, marching storm troopers and two elephants dressed in Indian-style garb.

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The diversity of the city was also on show with many multicultural groups in traditional dress singing, dancing and playing music.

Former cricketer Shane Warne and Bollywood star Pallavi Sharda were crowned king and queen of Moomba. Photo: ABC

Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said more than one million people will have attended the 61st Moomba Festival by the time it wraps up Monday night.

“When I saw my first parade I thought, ‘we’ve either got to revive it, resuscitate it or kill it off’,” Mr Doyle said.

“We decided this was too important for the people of Melbourne so we invested in it and now I think it’s a great weekend.

“It’s a Melbourne success.”

This year’s Moomba king and queen, former cricketer Shane Warne and Bollywood star Pallavi Sharda, were borne along on thrones covered in red velvet.

Warne said he was proud of the title, having been a big fan of the festival’s iconic Birdman Rally as a child.

“Growing up, it was an amazing experience watching people faceplant into the Yarra, but to see this reinvigorated, I think it’s fantastic for Melbourne,” he said.

Storm troopers march down St Kilda Road in Melbourne. Photo: ABC

“I am a Melbourne boy and Moomba’s been pretty special.

“We like the silly stuff occasionally, it’s good fun.”

The Moomba queen, Bollywood star Pallavi Sharda, said the Indian community was proud of her appointment.

“Especially my parents, who are confused, they’re like, ‘Are you the queen of Moomba or the queen of Mumbai?’,” she said.

Home-made gliders get wet

On Sunday, Michael Paul won the annual Birdman Rally, where a competitor jumps from a platform and tries to fly a home-made glider down the Yarra River.

Mr Paul sailed 15 metres in his glider before going into the drink.

Ben Langford-Jones, dressed as a rubber duckie in a wading pool, took the plunge by proposing to his girlfriend before leaping into the river.

“Everyone kept asking me if I was nervous about the jump,” he said.

“The jump was a piece of cake. The nerves were about actually ringing Georgie’s dad Ian.”

Ben Langford-Jones jumps into the Yarra during the Birdman Rally. Photo: AAP

– ABC