'Australia Day in the Capital' concert: All you need to know

So how will the 'Australia Day in the Capital' concert at Regatta Point on Thursday compare to one that drew thousands to the lawns of Parliament House annually for more than a decade?

For starters it will lack any formal Australian Idol contestants, boast emerging and established local talent and end with a bang - for the first time the concert and firework display will be held on the same night.

And some artists set to take the stage believe it will attract younger crowd than previous years.

While headlining act British India and supporting act Choir of Hard Knocks are from Melbourne, heavy rock band Hands like Houses and alternative collaboration Young Monks made their break in Canberra.

Hands Like Houses bass player Joel Tyrrell predicted the lineup would appeal more to young adults than previous years but still be family friendly.

"I think people will be caught a little off guard, because it is more of a family event than what we're used to, but we will come in red hot and ready to rock 'n' roll," Mr Tyrell said.

"I do think the line-up caters for a bit of everything and I think the older crowd will have a good time, too."

Canberrans hoping for a more relaxed, melodic vibe should arrive by 5pm when five-piece collaborative Young Monks will hit the stage - following Choir of Knocks and before Hands Like Houses.

While British India and Hands Like Houses have toured the world, band member Tom caldwell said the expected 60,000-strong turnout would be the biggest yet for the emerging group.

"As a local and up and coming band, we wouldn't have been able to do a show this big without the support of the ACT government," Mr Caldwell said.

He agreed the concert's lineup was more targeted at youth.

"it will be fun for everyone but from a younger point of view it will be great to see a lot of people up close instead of sitting half a kilometre back," he said.

"People can expect a psychedelic sort of sound from us."

Headlining act, indie rock band British India, is well-known across generations. Four of their albums have featured in the ARIA Top 10 charts and seven singles in Triple J Hottest 100's. The Choir of Hard Knocks, which featured in an ABC documentary series in 2007, consists of people who are homeless, disadvantaged or have suffered addiction problems.

Despite boasting fewer household names than the national concert had in previous years, which included Jimmy Barnes, INXS, Matt Corby, and Guy Sebastian, an ACT government spokesperson assured Canberrans the entertainment would have a wide appeal.

The concert starts at 4:00pm and the fireworks are at 9pm.

Parking for the concert will be available at the Parliamentary Triangle, Anzac Parade East and West and the Civic Pool, before taking the footbridge near the Civic Pool over Parkes Way to Commonwealth Park. A free shuttle bus will run every 15-minutes between those car parks - as well as the CIT car park - and Regatta Point between 3.30pm and 10.30pm

Free return buses will run from Commonwealth Avenue bus stop at Regatta Point to Gungahlin Marketplace, City, Belconnen, and Woden bus stations every 30 minutes until 10:45pm.

ACTION will be running on a Sunday timetable due to the public holiday and will stop on both sides of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge.

Temporary road, car park and path closures will include:

More information about Australia Day celebrations in Canberra can be found here.