But Xanthe Naylor is assuring city residents it will not be as scary as it sounds.
The Dunedin Midwinter Carnival event manager said the theme for this year’s carnival was "A Rustle in the Night", and on June 12 and 13, Dunedin’s First Church would come alive with "lantern light, playful shadows, and friendly night-time creatures".
"We hope to bring you into a wonderful world of creatures that live in the night and the undergrowth.
"We invite you to come and find the beauty of our precious native fauna that may seem like creepy-crawlies at first, but are truly fascinating and vital to our ecosystem.
"From glowing dragons to watchful ruru and ancient tuatara, the night comes alive with curious company."
As well as stunning lantern displays and parades, the event will include aerial performances, dancing, live music, immersive indoor installations and food trucks.
For the first time, the Dunedin Midwinter Carnival will introduce timed sessions, to give visitors plenty of time to explore the installations, enjoy the performances and experience the full programme without overcrowding.
Ms Naylor said there would be two 90-minute sessions per night — from 5.30pm to 7pm, and from 7.30pm to 9pm.
"Audience feedback has been invaluable in shaping this year’s carnival, which features a bigger procession, more roving acts, immersive indoor installations and a new two-session format designed to make the experience seamless for all."
She said the carnival would also offer a "low sensory" session from 4pm to 5pm, on Saturday (June 13), for those sensitive to crowds, loud music, or flashing lights.
The highly anticipated public lantern-making workshops are scheduled to begin again on May 23.
This year, participants will have the opportunity to create designs including cocoons, snails and kiwi.
There will be three weekend workshops at the Meridian Mall, beginning with cocoon lanterns on May 23-24, followed by snails on May 30-31, and kiwi on June 6-7.
Adult workshops will also be held at Tūhura Otago Museum as part of its Wine and Design series on May 27-28, which will provide a more in-depth creative experience where people can make a hedgehog lantern.
