MORE than 6,500 witches from across the world arrived in Croydon this weekend for Witchfest - the largest festival of its type.
But the gathering was not without its controversy, as a small protest was held at the Fairfield on Saturday morning.
One demonstrator stood outside with a board which read: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."
Last year, street preachers flew over from America to protest outside the event.
Inbaal, a 30-year-old Wiccan witch who lives in the Addington area, said: "The protest was very peaceful, although a megaphone was used which was not very good manners.
"They tried to approach me with fliers and probably thought they were doing a good thing."
The two-day event boasted a medley of mystics, stalls, talks, bands and performances.
For the first time there was a pre-Witchfest special performance of the Circus of Horrors the night before.
The circus was a fusion between daredevil and bizarre circus acts performed by a cast of 26, plus live rock 'n' roll music played by the X Factor, all joined together by an "Alice in Horror Land" theme.
The event was put together by the Children of Artemis, an organisation that promotes witchcraft and Wicca - an ancient pagan religion - in the UK.
It is claimed this is the largest witchcraft festival in the world, with people travelling from across Europe and the US to attend.