Giant laser spectacles and hundreds of choreographed drones will bedazzle the night skies and entice an expected three million visitors to Sydney's Vivid festival, which is tipped to be the best ever.
A 23-day program of light shows, music, performance and food will spill into daylight hours for the first time since the inaugural festival in 2009.
"We're all anticipating the best ever. The best ever", NSW Tourism Minister Steve Kamper told reporters on Wednesday.
Aerial shows will make a highly anticipated comeback, after their sole appearance in 2024 triggered a crowd crush that prompted organisers to cancel the spectacle the following year.
An expanded armada of 700-to-1000 drones will take flight 22 times over 11 nights, the shows having been moved from Circular Quay to Darling Harbour.
They will run on weeknights to prevent overcrowding, with the government keen to see the drones fly again.
"We collaborate with police, emergency services, we're all working together to make sure we're capable of managing it," Mr Kamper said.
"Keeping people safe, but also providing fantastic entertainment."
Debutant festival director Brett Sheehy said the latest technology ensures Vivid has the brightest drones in the world.
They will battle for eyeballs with a nightly laser spectacle staged by British special effects company ER Productions, which holds the world record for largest laser show.
Mr Sheehy envisages a truly comprehensive arts festival.
A compressed "light walk" will squeeze 43 attractions along two fewer kilometres of harbour foreshore.
"(You will) never not be in touch with a light-moment", Mr Sheehy said.
A new pillar of the festival - Vivid Minds - featuring Oscar- and Pulitzer prize-winning speakers will also debut, along with a suite of before-bedtime attractions to run throughout the day.
The facelift comes after attendances fell by more than one-third from a record 3.3 million people in 2023, with organisers believing daytime installations are crucial to restoring Vivid's allure.
"Not everyone is a night owl, and I saw a big opportunity to expand attendances by expanding the number of art forms we present," Mr Sheehy told reporters.
Vivid's success has inspired copycat winter arts festivals in other capital cities, such as Melbourne's Rising, Perth's Lightscape and Illuminate Adelaide.
The winter festival is the crown jewel of NSW's visitor economy strategy, with the government counting on it to rake in $91 billion in tourist spending by 2035 despite 80 per cent of the festival's offering being free.
"In relation to the daytime activities ... (it) also creates a situation where visitors are staying longer and maybe spending a little bit more money", Mr Kamper said.
Vivid kicks off on May 22.
