THE St Jerome’s Laneway Festival will soon make its way to Footscray.

More than 7500 party-goers have been expected to flock to Footscray Community Arts Centre on 30 January as the event moves from the laneways of Melbourne’s CBD to the banks of the Maribyrnong River.

Performers such as Mumford and Sons, Florence and the Machine, Black Lips, the XX, Sarah Blasko and festival veterans Echo and the Bunnymen, Daniel Johnston and the Dirty Three have been confirmed as part of the line-up.

There will also be designer markets, Indie cinemas featuring new and cult films, and food stalls from local markets.

The event will span over Footscray Community Arts Centre’s park, amphitheatre and river bank.

Festival organisers will also hold workshops for emerging bands in the West in the lead-up to the festival, with successful bands given the chance to play at the Sydney festival.

Footscray Community Arts Centre programming manager Jeremy Gaden was thrilled with the announcement.

Mr Gaden said the success of next year’s festival could see Footscray Community Arts Centre the permanent home of St Jerome’s.

St Jerome’s made its debut on Melbourne’s streets five years ago in Caledonian Lane as a tribute to block parties made popular in New York’s Bedford-Stuyvesant area.

It went interstate the following year after a mammoth response. This year, St Jerome’s will make its international debut in Singapore and Auckland.

Last year’s Melbourne festival sparked more than 300 complaints because of overcrowding.

Co-promoter Danny Rogers said Footscray’s unique arts culture made it the ideal place to relocate the festival.

“There aren’t too many places in Melbourne where you can find such a high density of artists and where the arts community seems so well established, yet so understated,” he said.

“It is a big thing to move the festival and it wasn’t something we’ve taken lightly.

“Obviously there’s a lot of history for the festival in those back laneways around the old St Jerome’s bar, but the past six years have seen the city change and the festival’s changed too; I guess they grew apart to some extent.”