Four tonnes of UV paint sits in preparation for tonight, when Dunedin students will attempt to set a world record at Forsyth Barr Stadium for the Illuminate Paint Party.
The event is part of Reorientation Week, which began on Monday, and mixes thousands of party-goers dressed in white with several tonnes of fluorescent paint.
Wellington-based event organiser Jamie Templeton said tonight's party would be the biggest so far.
It aimed to set the world record for the most people covered in paint simultaneously, and would be attended by Guinness world record adjudicator Chris Sheedy.
Mr Templeton chose Dunedin for the record bid largely because of its student population.
''We really wanted to bring this opportunity to the Otago students.''
Mr Templeton hoped to attract 5000 students to the event and was confident it would be a sellout. Fifteen hundred attended the paint party held two years ago at Union Hall.
The first Illuminate Paint Party was held in July 2009 in Wellington and it had since expanded to Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Otago University Students' Association president Francisco Hernandez was excited about tonight's party, which he hoped would be ''the biggest one so far''.
''Aside from obviously having much more space and more people in a venue like the stadium, there are going to be bigger paint cannons, a paint slide and 100 illuminators throwing paint from all sides. It's going to be huge.''
Other events during Reorientation Week include Comedy Night, at the stadium tomorrow.
Taking part will be TV3's 7 Days star Ben Hurley. On Friday night at ReFuel bar, performers including Tommy Ill, Totems and Southern Lights will feature.
The event is hosted by Radio One and the 91 Club.
Reorientation Week finishes on Saturday with the Dunedin International Food Festival at the Otago Museum Reserve from 6pm to 9pm, followed by New Zealand band Shapeshifter at the town hall.
All events are open to the public.
- Holly Ryan
