"We're fairly flat out the next two or three days," show society president Jock Gibson said Sunday. "Cattle will start rolling in tomorrow [Monday] ... sheep rolling in Wednesday."

In what is likely a first for the show, which has been running since 1873 and is the only one outside a capital city to receive the Royal decree, miniature goats will also feature.

"We've had goats but no miniature goats, its probably the first time," Mr Gibson said. "People seem to like miniature goats. They are starting to flourish about the place - become popular."

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The addition is part of a push to bring more through the gates at a difficult time for the show - and its counterparts around the state and country.

Alongside all the favourites, Mr Gibson said a large focus of the 2019 show will be to provide free entertainment for children.

"The normal roving circus and ... treasure hunt and those sort of things," he explained. "Just so that they [families] don't have to come in spend a fortune."

Entertainers will take to the stage throughout the day too. This year will also see the return of lower entry prices first launched last year - $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Mr Gibson said the show was hoping to see 10,000 come through the gates on the Thursday public holiday.

"To get in the gate doesn't cost you much, and then there is plenty of free entertainment when you do."

Announcing the move away from the traditional three-day event last year, organisers urged the public to support the event and were initially pleased with the result.

But ticket sales had been dropping in recent years. A report by Makris Skringar & Associates found the 2012 collapse of Chickenfeed stripped away one-third of pre-event earnings.

In December 2017, The Examiner reported that the society was believed to owe the City of Launceston Council more than $100,000. Mr Gibson last month said the matter was "probably still between us and the council".

During a visit to Northern Tasmania last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a new program to provide show societies with grants of up to $500,000 to help with costs around infrastructure and attractions.

Mr Gibson was hopeful the society would be able to access some of the funding.

"In reality there's going to be $20 million and 600-odd shows around Australia - not everyone's going to get a slice of the pie," he said. "We'll have to make up an application and see where we get to."

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