The inaugural Festival of Bells will run from May 7-9, centred on the War Memorial Carillon in Kings Parade.

The first evening of the festival will recognise the carillon's importance as a war memorial before the next two days are crammed with musical performances from carillonists from across the state, along with local musicians and school ensembles.

The festival is the brainchild of Bathurst man Stuart Pearson, who first raised the idea in his monthly column in the Western Advocate in April 2020.

He said the column received a huge response from people encouraging him to pursue the festival idea and after several meetings with Bathurst Regional Council a steering committee was formed to make it a reality.

Mr Pearson said the festival would celebrate all facets of the carillon, built in 1933 and paid for by community donations and finally upgraded to a full working instrument, complete with clavier and a new octave of bells, in 2020.

"It's important that we differentiate between the carillon being a war memorial first and a musical instrument second, so on the Friday night will be the first dedicated Last Post Ceremony ever conducted in Bathurst, with the support of the RSL," Mr Pearson said.

"Every year as part of that ceremony the RSL will commemorate one or two of the locals listed on the roll of honour."

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Mr Pearson said the timing of the festival was chosen to act as a "crescendo" at the end of the annual Autumn Colours season of events, coinciding with Proclamation Day activities.

It offers a new major event for the city away from the Mount Panorama circuit and is targeted at bringing a different demographic of people to Bathurst.

Mr Pearson said council's own estimates suggested the festival, as it grows, will become a huge boost to the local economy.

"The expectation from council is that somewhere between 2500-3000 people, maybe even more, will turn up [this year] because they're modelling it on the winter festival," Mr Pearson said.

"But then any number of people can also come and put down a picnic rug and listen to the music.

"The council did its economic impact and think ... [the festival] will inject over $700,000 into the economy and create up to seven jobs [in events, cafes, etc]."

Above all, though, the festival will be a showcase of the carillon.

"On the hour, every hour, a new carillonist will go up to the top of the tower and play a piece of music that has not been played before in this festival and won't be played again during the festival," Mr Pearson said.

"They last about 20-25 minutes before they run out of puff so there will be a slight pause and the back half of each hour will see Mitchell Conservatorium coming in with bands, choirs, ensembles, orchestras and soloists - local musical talent.

"We wanted school bands involved, there will be pipes - it's really a cross-community event."

The steering committee, through the Carillon Society of Australia, has also commissioned a new composition for carillon and didgeridoo by Gerard Brophy that will be played publicly for the first time during the first session on the Saturday of the festival.

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