Foliage becomes an unlikely canvas for art in one of the highlights of the upcoming Singapore Night Festival.

French artist-photographer Clement Briend will project images of Asian deities onto the trees outside the National Museum of Singapore, forming beautiful, haunting 3D-like images against the night sky. The 32-year-old behind the work, Divine Trees, was in town for the festival's press preview on Tuesday evening.

The popular Night Festival, to be held for two weekends at the end of August, will once again see the Bras Basah-Bugis arts and heritage district buzzing with free, open-air and indoor installations and performances.

Now in its seventh edition, the festival drew over 400,000 people last year.

Headlining the festival, which opens on Aug 22, is William Close's Earth Harp, which will turn the National Museum into a larger-than-life harp by stretching strings from the museum's front lawn to its roof.

The American artist will "jam" with three acts - all-female Australian operatic act, The 7 Sopranos, local drumming group ZingO and Austrian collective Phoenix, which promises gravity-defying stunts and pyrotechnic effects.

In a first for the festival, this year's event will have a Festival Village with stalls serving food and drinks at Cathay Green located across the road from The Cathay. The Village also includes a flea market, musical performances and film screenings.

There will also be a festival theme for the first time - Bold And Beautiful.

This year, three arts organisations on Armenian Street will come together to host a raucous Block Party. The Peranakan Museum, The Substation and live music venue Timbre will present roving music acts, a 31-plays-in-one-hour show and even a live wrestling match in a real-life ring.

Visitors will also be able to see the museums in a different light. For example, they can head to the National Museum's Fashion Gallery to catch contemporary dance performance Follies for é Birds. Dancers from The Arts Fission Company will mimic birds in the piece, which reflects quiet beauty in urban settings.

The organisers will release more details of the festival closer to the date.