“We’re expecting over 200 students to come and most of them have already enrolled and are ready to rock,” Mr Meagher said.

“Bookings have been excellent, they’re looking like record numbers.”

The Koroit Lake School of Celtic Music, Song and Dance is a participant festival for people of all ages wanting to further their aims in Celtic music, Mr Meagher said.

He said tonight’s opening would be marked with a casual evening of drinking Guinness, singing and playing music at Mickey Bourke’s hotel.

Today’s program features several activities including a meeting of students and tutors, welcome barbecue and African music get-together.

Highlights over the event’s six days that the wider public can attend are a performance from Melbourne outfit Saoirse on Saturday night at the Koroit Theatre and a Lake School tutors’ concert on Sunday night at Crossley Hall.

“On Friday night we will have a Ceilidhe, which is a dance at the Illowa Hall,” Mr Meagher said.

“On Saturday night there is a big session at the Kirkstall Hotel.”

He said all the tutors who attended the school were “legends and heroes” and a standout for 2014 was harpist Cath Connelly.

“Twenty-three harpists came to learn from her last year … she’s brilliant,” he said.

Participants are travelling from as far as Darwin and Tasmania to take part.