Pope Benedict arrives in Sydney on Sunday as the headline "rock star" act in the Catholic Church's World Youth Day - its version of Woodstock, five days of peace, love and Christianity.
Already thousands of young Catholics, nuns and priests from around the world have converged on Sydney, which is treating the July 15-20 event as bigger than the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
"We are looking forward to see what God has in mind for us," said American Wayne Bolduc, as groups of pilgrims, some wearing backpacks with pictures of Jesus, explored Sydney on Thursday.
Organisers are expecting 500,000 pilgrims, but only half that have actually registered so far.
Police have been given extra anti-protest powers so they can arrest anyone annoying pilgrims, some 300 roads have been closed and workers have been told to take holidays or avoid the city.
Elective surgery in some hospitals has been cancelled and extra doctors rostered on in preparation for injuries. Signs warn motorists that overseas pilgrims are not used to cars on the left-hand side of the road and may step in front of traffic.
The city's main horse-racing track, site of the closing gig where hundreds of thousands will gather for a papal mass, has been shut to racing for 10 weeks in preparation.
Organisers and local government authorities say World Youth Day will be a religious and financial windfall, with the event estimated to earn the city up to A$200 million (around £95 million).
But not everyone is happy. The group "No Pope" is planning to hand out condoms in protest at the Church's doctrine and protest the extra police powers they say crush civil liberties.
Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy plan to protest and call on the Pope to make apologies. There have been 107 convictions for sexual abuse in the Catholic church in Australia.
"I can't confirm or deny that he will talk about it (sexual abuse) but it would not surprise me," Vatican spokesman Rev Federico Lombardi said in a papal briefing in Rome on Wednesday.
