But the heart-stopping opening will be reserved for Illawarra talent.

The two bands that turned up at yesterday's launch are up against about 40 other Illawarra bands in an online competition to decide the important slot in what is shaping up to be the region's equivalent to Sydney's Big Day Out.

"It would be fantastic and nerve-racking at the same time but I reckon we could handle it," said Lumiere's Todor Manojlovic who looks after vocals, bass guitar and keyboards in the alternative rock band which won the 2008 Mercury BlueScope Band Comp.

Crash Tragic's bass guitarist Paul Ditton said his three-man band was so confident of winning it already had its opening song from the band's new EP worked out.

"I reckon we've got a good chance because although we've only been together three years, we each have 10 years experience and a lot of fans behind us," Ditton said.

MC Productions event producer James Cassel said the company had been inundated with interest in the competition from as far away as New Zealand.

"We plan to restrict it to local bands to emphasise our confidence in the Illawarra music industry," Mr Cassel said.

He said the time was right for a festival of this size.

"Everybody knows Wollongong has got a strong music industry and it just needs somewhere to show it off," Mr Cassel said. "We think that at the rate we are going it will break records for music festivals in this region."

Tickets for the festival go on sale next Wednesday online and through Ticketek.

Illawarra fans can vote for their favourite band online by going to www.playdayfest.com.