Hundreds of drones will take to the skies over Toronto's waterfront this weekend in a colourful spectacle that will be totally free to watch.

Drone entertainment brand Illumin, in collaboration with Hotel X Toronto, will illuminate the skies over Brigantine Cove on Saturday night to celebrate the close of this year's Waterfront Night Market.

Attendees will witness a moving light show in the sky forming changing shapes, images, and digital billboards just south of Exhibition Place.

The show is scheduled to take place on the night of Saturday, August 12, at 11 p.m.

In the event of rain on Saturday, a backup show is planned for Sunday, August 13.

Drones will launch from above Brigantine Cove and be visible from several viewpoints. The best views will be reserved for those staying or dining at event sponsor Hotel X, which directly overlooks the cove.

However, the show will take place directly adjacent to Trillium Park, and be viewable from other publicly-accessible spaces like Exhibition Place and parking areas along the cove.

An earlier drone show from Illumin and Hotel X planned for July 15 was ultimately cancelled due to weather and rescheduled to this weekend.

Since that display was announced and postponed, another high-profile drone show (with no connection to Illumin or Hotel X) to promote the National Bank Open took to the skies and was met with mixed reviews, especially regarding the vague timing and viewing instructions shared with the public.

Organizers of this upcoming show have taken care to provide an exact time and viewing instructions, and are unlikely to face similar blowback over nonspecificity.