Intimate portraits of some of The Beatles and some of the biggest names in music during the 1960s and 1970s will be on display in the blockbuster BIFB photographic exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.

Ballarat businesses are set to be big winners from the exhibition, with a large increase in visitor numbers expected during the two-month exhibition.

Curated by Paul McCartney and their children Mary and Stella, the exhibition Linda McCartney: Retrospective features more than 200 photographs from the music world and family life.

Last year's BIFB attracted more than 37,000 visitors and the broad appeal of the celebrity photographs and behind-the-scenes insight into the music world of the 1960s and 1970s that Linda McCartney captured on film is expected to draw even larger numbers.

Depending on COVID travel restrictions, the McCartneys could travel to Ballarat for the exhibition opening.

BIFB artistic director Fiona Sweet said she had been working for three years to secure the exhibition, its first time in Australia, and Ballarat would be the only location to host the major event.

"It's got beautiful photos of The Beatles on Abbey Road, Jimi Hendrix, and she was the first female photographer to have an image on the front of the Rolling Stone magazine with Eric Clapton and that will be in the exhibition as well," Ms Sweet said.

"There's a significant amount of photos of that time, from rock and roll in the 1960s early 1970s as she was a part of that community."

Ms Sweet said the magic of McCartney's pictures was their casual nature and glimpse into the off-stage lives of some of the world's biggest names and the McCartney family itself.

"In these casual photos she captures the moment before the formal moment which is what we love about it."

Photos from Linda McCartney's visits to Australia in the 1970s will also be included, most of which have never been seen before.

Linda died of breast cancer in 1998.

"Paul, Mary and Stella are curating the exhibition and what's really important to know is that Paul is very interested in each exhibition having something quite unique, so he has gone into the archives and found photos never seen before from her visits to Australia," Ms Sweet said.

"I always loved her work, the sort of immediacy of her work.

"For the Ballarat audience it's about them seeing something extraordinary in their own town and I feel incredible proud they get something extraordinary in their home town ... and it's about retailers, cafes and hotels doing well during our festival, about the education program, the schools ... all these things are really important to us."

News of the star-studded exhibition delighted Ballarat's business community, still reeling from the impacts of COVID-19.

Last year's BIFB delivered $7 million in direct economic benefit to the city, and more than double that in indirect impact such as spending on food and drinks, with almost 19,000 visitors staying one or two nights to take in multiple exhibitions and city attractions.

"The announcement of the Linda McCartney exhibition is huge for our city," said Commerce Ballarat chair Jodie Gillett.

"Many of our businesses will be in recovery from COVID for years, not months, and to hear announcements such as this give them such confidence in the year ahead. There is no doubt this exhibition will draw crowds from near and far and our businesses cannot wait to welcome people to the city."

Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney praised Ms Sweet's ability to draw the biggest names in the photography world to Ballarat.

"Every time this event is held it kicks a major goal and just continues to be one of the world's great photographic events," Cr Moloney said.

"It continues to attract some of the big names in international photography ... and to secure the work of the late, great Linda McCartney is fantastic. It's the sort of thing you would typically have to go to other parts of the world to see but it will be here."

And he said all of Ballarat would benefit.

"The return on investment is great and this is part of the reason why, from council's point of view, we were prepared to back this event heavily. It's not just two months of every two years, it has international drawing power and it also has a series of events that continue even in the off years.

"Even if you might not necessarily see yourself as the type of person to go to most other photo exhibitions this one will have quite broad, mass appeal. It's not only the name and link into the music scene but the style of photography is really impressive to see."

Tim Canny from Sovereign Park Motor Inn said the high-profile exhibition would be a boost for the accommodation sector across the city.

"It's very, very exciting to have this announcement and it's great for business. Anything that helps attract people to Ballarat, certainly for overnight stays, is very valuable to our industry and we welcome these sort of attractions and events with open arms after the year we have had," he said.

"Wouldn't it be incredible if Paul McCartney did come - it would really put us on the map."

Tim Matthews from The Forge said the announcement would mean an influx of visitors and diners during the foto biennale.

"Foto Biennale visitors tend to be the type that spend a whole day and some stay overnight. It's really handy to have big name to draw them in but there's lots of other great work that get them to stay."

Staying longer means extra coffee from cafes, meals at restaurants, accommodation, and spending in other retails stores and local attractions.

"It helps put Ballarat on the map and that's a really positive for us especially right now. People will be talking about Ballarat International Foto Biennale, and there's positive press around Ballarat and what it's got going on."

Fellow hospitality professional Matthew Freeman, who owns cafes Johnny Alloo and Fika, said the exhibition was another boost for Ballarat's reputation for events.

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"One of Ballarat's biggest things has been being able to capitalise on events. COVID disrupted that but this is getting back to that normality of trying to do some really fun stuff and marketing it really well."

Ms Sweet said the Linda McCartney: Retrospective exhibition would have broad appeal from photography fans to music lovers and anyone who grew up through the 1960s and 70s or enjoyed a glimpse into the era.

"In the vein of Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, Linda often captured the subtle and fortuitous rather than the staged moments. Linda used the tools at her disposal to create moving and intimate portraits creating a new perspective in rock and roll photography. She captured the essence of those around her, providing insight into the personal lives of iconic artists and that of her family in later life," Ms Sweet said.

The 2021 Ballarat International Foto Biennale runs from August 28 to October 24.

Tickets for the Ballarat International Foto Biennale featuring Linda McCartney: Retrospective are will go on sale on Sunday December 13.