Cold Chisel's 50th anniversary concert rocks Victoria Park

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The crowd lapped up bands performing throughout the afternoon, including Karen Lee Andrews, Superjesus, Birds of Tokyo and The Cruel Sea, before Cold Chisel and its legendary frontman Jimmy Barnes took to the stage at 7.30 pm.

The first fans began queuing more than three hours before the gates opened at 1.30pm, with a long line of picnic chairs snaking from the main gates near the Victoria Park playground around past the soccer club.

Fans raced through the gates when they opened to get prime position for the seven hours of music to come.

Cold Chisel's 50-year career means there are fans of all ages, with many families bringing multiple generations to enjoy the show and sing along to the hits.

Cold Chisel opened with a crowd favourite, Standing on the Outside, and played a mix of classics, band favourites and newer material from their decades on stage.

The set finished with iconic tunes Flame Trees, Khe San, and Bow River before the band returned for two encores which included Saturday Night, Breakfast at Sweethearts and When the War is Over.

"They (Cold Chisel) are having the best time. They are really enjoying being out again ... and having the crowd sing their songs back to them. It's pretty joyous," a spokesperson said.

The concert was also a boon for Ballarat's accommodation and hospitality providers, with accommodation largely booked out across the city.

The Ballarat show was the 14th and halfway point of the Cold Chisel - The Big Five-O tour, with the bands back on stage at Mornington on Sunday, November 10.

The tour almost didn't go ahead, with Barnes undergoing hip surgery in August, just months after having open heart surgery for a life-threatening bacterial infection.