Visit Ballarat has started spruiking an umbrella campaign entitled Summer of Sound, which it hopes will entice residents to stay in their home town over the coming months, rather than the usual escape down the Great Ocean Road.

It’s undoubtedly a jam-packed program. The Australian Jazz Convention kicks off on Boxing Day, followed by the City of Ballarat’s Summer Sunday program starting on January 8.

For something more austere, audiences can rediscover the region’s churches and sacred spaces with the Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields festival coming up from January 13.

Alternative types will no doubt be lining up for tickets to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on January 15.

For revellers wanting a harder edge, the Ballarat Beer Festival is promising a rock-filled day on January 21 with Davey Lane and Dallas Crane.

Before January is out, the city will also host the Red Hot Summer tour featuring John Farnham, supported by Taxiride, James Reyne, Daryl Braithwaite and Shannon Noll on January 28, followed by the Cat Empire and Xavier Rudd the following day.

Visit Ballarat CEO Noel Dempsey said his dream was for Ballarat to become “the home of live music”.

“Since I’ve been in Ballarat, I’ve been amazed at the opportunities and the plethora of live music. I really think it’s something we can exploit as a town and become synonymous and famous for,” he said.

“Could Ballarat be the home of live music, the place you go to get your fix? In a world where every regional city in Victoria, and maybe in Australia, is trying to do its best in arts and culture, you wonder whether live music might be our unique niche.”

Mr Dempsey said he wanted to see an end to the tradition of people leaving Ballarat for the summer, seduced to stay instead with a “blancmange” of musical offerings.

He said hopefully the 2017 summer season would be the first year to experience the changing tides.

“It’s sort of evolving into our season of music and it’s a great start. Nick Cave and John Farnham and Cat Empire - they’re selling like hotcakes,” he said.

“Because of the location for these bands, they can open the gates even further if the ticket sales are any good. Thus far the ticket sales are pretty good - John Farnham is about 7000 and Nick Cave is about the same and the other are slightly below that but better than expected.”

Mr Dempsey said the trick, in the future, was in providing the right infrastructure. He said he hoped Eureka Stadium could provide an opportunity to become a permanent live music venue.

“Why couldn’t that be a perfect venue that attracts the biggest and best acts? I’ll know I’ve done my job when one day we can get Bruce Springsteen,” he said.

For more information and tickets to the Summer of Sound events, visit www.ballaratsummerofsound.com.au