Without doubt, it will be spectacular: 600 lit-up drones will form patterns in the night sky of Canberra on Australia Day.
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Two human operators and a lot of very clever software will choreograph the telling of stories on January 25, 26 and 27, 2024, from 8.30pm until just short of midnight.
The result will be a dance of light - so pray for a clear night.
The shows are called "Flight" and each come in three episodes, telling a story about Australia, ancient and modern. And about Canberra.
One of the moving images in the sky will be a wedge-tailed eagle.
There will be music to accompany the dancing lights. Whether there will also be a human narrator remains unclear - the creative work is ongoing.
Each 12-minute performance will be meant "not just to entertain but to enlighten, engage, and inspire", according to its creative director, Anthony Bastic.
It will be like fireworks but with meaning - a narrative - and much better technology. It may well be much more spectacular and much more beautiful than old-fashioned gun-powder.
The creator Anthony Bastic has been called a "modern-day storyteller" who uses sound and light - and cutting-edge technology rather than words - to tell stories.
He comes up with the ideas and how they might look over Lake Burley Griffin or Sydney Harbour (or Delhi or Boston) and those ideas are then coded so the drones can move in synch with each other.
For the Canberra show, he is trying to tell a Canberran story and also an Australian story (for Australia Day).
"The narrative is deeply rooted in a desire to encapsulate the multifaceted identity of Australia - its rich Indigenous heritage, breathtaking natural beauty, and the progressive journey of our democracy," Mr Bastic said.
"Inspired by the symbolic power and majesty of Maliyan, the wedge-tailed eagle, the narrative weaves a story that is as diverse and dynamic as Australia itself."
The company Mr Bastic founded has created spectacular events all over the world, from Delhi to Boston to Sydney to Singapore - and now Canberra.
For this show, the creators talked to Indigenous people in Canberra.
"Our participation in the creative development of the show reflects our desire to invite the community to come together to reflect and enjoy the land and life here in the capital, in the spirit of reconciliation and joy," Ngunnawal elder Caroline Hughes said.
Mr Bastic's company AGB Creative secured the contract from the National Capital Authority.
Its chief executive Sally Barnes said: "This visually captivating drone show not only showcases our nation's beauty but also serves as a powerful invitation for all Canberrans, visitors and the broader community to come together in reflection and celebration of our shared Australian identity in 2024."
Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
