CANBERRA’S Easter Folk Festival “is going to be massive,” says artistic director Dave O’Neill, of the event now fondly known as “The National”.

It’s his seventh and final year at the helm and bears his distinctive marks.

“The main angle is always active participation and education,” he explains.

“I get people in who’ll not just sing, but do workshops – musicians who are prepared to jam at the session bar… that way, young musicians can play along with the greats.”

And it’s the same deal for the international guests.

To O’Neill, those international musicians are essential, bringing with them a wealth of experience.

“Our performers often don’t have the same level of experience and it’s that professionalism that rubs off,” he says.

Take Battlefield Band, one of Britain’s leading revival bands, founded in Glasgow during 1969 – “they’re all mad session players – guaranteed,” says O’Neill.

You can expect participation, too, when Hawaiian Grammy Award-winning ukulele virtuoso, Daniel Ho (pictured above), turns up. For O’Neill, like “CityNews”, has noticed the uke-madness sweeping the national capital, putting it down to the fact that playing the instrument doesn’t seem too hard.

He’s always been proud of his ability to find wacky angles. This time there’ll be the launch of Dennis O’Keefe’s new book about the “Waltzing Matilda” story; massed union choirs; The Chordwainers, who play quirky music on all-leather musical instruments; and Franklyn B Paverty’s show about the prolific late Canberra Irish composer and Snowy Hydro Electric Scheme migrant Ulick O’Boyle.

But it’s not all Anglo-Celtic. A noted fiddler himself, O’Neill eagerly anticipates the appearance of Mongolian horse-head fiddler and throat-singer Bukhchuluun Ganburged.

Showbiz pizazz will be evident with Lindsey Pollock’s Balkan Brass Band in the street parade and Adam Hadley’s Majestic tent, hosting deliberately tasteless acts such as Julian Fleetwood’s tale of zombies attacking Canberra.

And O’Neill’s parting pièce de résistance? He’ll be attempting to beat the Guinness record of 150 for the most people playing the “lagerphone” (bottle caps nailed to a stick) at one time. No problem, he says. With such “massive” musical resources at his disposal, it’s in the bag.

The 2012 National Folk Festival, April 5-9, Exhibition Park. Bookings to www.folkfestival.org.au/tickets-2 or 1300 235849.