The festival will start on Sunday, with several minor musical and arts performances to warm up patrons before a stacked program of international, national and local acts invades the festival's two main stages over Monday and Tuesday.

The line-up includes US hip-hop and soul band The Roots, Neil Finn, Violent Femmes, Vampire Weekend and Johnny Marr, the former guitarist in iconic 1980s band The Smiths.

British indie rock band The Wombats is scheduled to bring in the new year at Marion Bay after a performance from US pop act MGMT.

Tickets can be bought online for the festival up until Saturday afternoon, after which time they will only be available on the gate until Monday night.

A three-day pass can be bought on site for $250 on Sunday, and two-day passes will be sold for $220.

Falls Festival co-director Paul Piticco said organisers had decided to sell from the gate to boost ticket sales and provide a chance for last- minute changes of heart about attending the popular event.

He said the addition of a third festival site in Byron Bay, to complement Marion Bay and Lorne sites, had removed more than 1000 ticket sales from Tasmania.

The two mainland festivals have already sold out and Mr Piticco predicts the Tasmanian festival may achieve 12,000 sales - about 2000 sales less than previous years.

Read more on Falls in the Sunday Examiner, including site maps, set times, and an interview with Sydney rock band The Preachers.