A 26-metre-high rubber duck, created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, floated through Darling Harbour to mark the opening of the Sydney festival.

Hofman created the Rubber Duck in 2007. Since then the cute inflatable animal has travelled to countries around the world including London, Brazil and Japan.

With his giant sculptures the artist says he wants to force people to take a break from their daily routines.

It seems to work, spectators pause and smile when they spot Hofman's enormous sculptures, like the Rubber Duck, that are often inspires by everyday objects.

"It brings joy obviously and it brings astonishment and it brings people together," Hofman said.

"We are living on a planet, we are one family and the global waters are our bathtubs. So it joins people," the artist added.