There will be no stages and minimal infrastructure.
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The annual Honk! Oz festival of big band street music aims to provide plenty of funky, free and fun entertainment.
Honk! Oz is happening in Wollongong for the fourth year in a row, from January 11-13.
The free three-day spectacle features big bands, smaller bands and related arts.
A variety of bands will be participating including several from Wollongong as well as visiting acts from Perth, Lismore, Sydney and Melbourne.
There is also a pick-up band for unattached musicians led by international saxophonist, American Ken Field.
Workshop sessions such as The Kids Honk! Band and the Hoot Pickup Band run throughout the festival, catering for musicians of all ages and abilities.
Festival co-organiser Lotte Latukefu said although they had fewer overseas acts appearing at the 2018 festival, more people would likely end up participating.
"(Overall) it should be more of the same kind of colour, spectacle, music and craziness of the other years', but I think everything's just a little bit bigger," she said.
"We are actually making some instruments; a big instrument that we will attempt to play at the end of the festival.
"So there's that kind of interactive thing happening… What we want is for people to come along and help build this huge instrument.
"That will be going on during Friday and Saturday in the arts precinct.
"We've also got lots of children who are going to be parading this year and playing their instruments."
A warm-up to the festival begins on Wednesday, January 10, when there are workshops for primary and high school students at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music from 10am to 12noon.
There will also be a lecture at 5.30pm at the Wollongong Art Gallery.
The festival proper kicks off on Thursday, January 11 with workshops on music playing and lantern making from 10am to 12noon at the Conservatorium of Music, culminating in free street music at three venues near the Eat Street Markets from 5pm to 9pm.
The festival continues on Friday, January 12 with bands playing from 4pm around the Town Hall and Arts Precinct next to the IPAC theatre, and a parade at 5pm.
There is also a free after dark party at Centro CBD upstairs, commencing at 9pm with food and drinks to purchase from 8pm.
The festival is set to conclude on Saturday, January 13 with bands playing in the Wollongong Arts Precinct next to the IPAC theatre from 10am to 3pm.