From musical headliner Boom Crash Opera to a larger-than-life fireworks extravaganza, organising committee president Michael Lindfield said this year's bumper schedule will combine old and new while refocusing the future direction of the festival.

"We've jazzed up the program with physical activity, different types of music, and splashed it with colour. We're venturing into new frontiers," he said.

One event earmarked to shake up this weekend's extravaganza is Write it Up, an activity which will enable young and old to unleash their inner street artist among some of the capital's finest.

"The Write it Up concept will bring together Canberra's elite street artists in one place at one time," Mr Lindfield said.

"Not only will they be canvassing street art and interacting with the public as they go, but there will be a 25-metre paste-up wall. It's an adrenaline rush to be actually spray painting or putting your hands in paint and painting on the wall."

But Mr Lindfield thought the artistic pursuit would leave a more permanent mark in Tuggeranong.

"We want to make Tuggeranong the cultural hub and head of professional street art – and to teach it. There's more street art around Canberra than in all our galleries,'' he said.

''What we're particularly trying to do is send a message to young folk that if they want to be a street artist here's a way to learn about it and not just graffiti – you can be talented and people can buy it," he said.

"All the professional artists are going to have an auction in May next year of selected pieces of work and they've committed to donate 50percent of sales into the street art exhibition at next year's festival."

Performances have also been dragged well under the spotlight in the lead-up to the 2013 festival with two stages to keep revellers of all ages entertained well into the evening.

"This year's bands are going to cover a whole spectrum of music – reggae, rock, funk, contemporary – including the main act Boom Crash Orchestra," Mr Linfield said.

"After the fireworks Beth 'n' Ben are going to come out with a six-piece band, so we're going to party on."

Despite the twists, the festival will retain a variety of grassroots performances and activities.

"All the children's activities will still be there but we've organised it in a way that there is a build up to the main show for the kids, which is going to be The Great Zamboni Comedy Magician on the community stage.

"There's going to be Glamourosas with colourful costumes and feathers and then we've got Mel's Burlesque, which is going to be something completely different to what we've done before but still within bounds of a community event.''

Mr Lindfield said the silver jubilee was the perfect time to launch the festival into a new direction.

"This is my 10th festival and I'd say this is probably the best one I've ever done; it's the most varied, it's the most colourful, it's the most spontaneous.''

The festival will culminate with a bang before night's end with bigger and better fireworks.