The carnival has collaborated with Otago Museum to gather images of the aurora australis, which will be projected on to large screens at the top of the Octagon during the procession of lanterns.
Otago Museum director Dr Ian Griffin said he was approached by Midwinter Carnival Trust chairman Paul Smith about pictures of the aurora.
"We love to collaborate here at the museum with other organisations. It's really great to be working with them again."
Mr Smith said the new addition related to the theme of this year's carnival, "Never Ending Night".
"It's a reference to [the Antarctic], where it actually doesn't get light at all in winter. We thought it would be a fantastic idea to bring the aurora, which is a real South Pole phenomenon, to our event."
Christchurch Museum also contributed to the project.
"The museum up there decided to get in touch and have given us a whole lot of footage of orca, seals and things like that."
The screens will be set up at the top of the Octagon on two sides, beside the Robbie Burns statue.
"We try every year to turn the middle of town into a really magical space. This is just one more way to do that.
"It's going to be really beautiful to see the aurora in the Octagon."
Dr Griffin said he was eager to see the finished product.
"The procession itself is always marvellous, but having this additional media dimension I think it's going to be an even more fantastic night."
There are two more weekends of workshops where lanterns can be made and set up.
The next is this weekend at Meridian mall, then on June 15 and 16 at the Community Gallery.
The Midwinter Carnival takes place on June 22 in the Octagon.
- Samuel Rillstone
