Tasmanian audiences are being told to prepare for the unexpected at next year’s MONA FOMA festival.

The five day festival in January will feature metal bands, electronic groups and orchestras.

The main venue for the festival will move from Princes Wharf One to Macquarie Wharf.

Curator Brian Ritchie says the event won the Helpmann Award last year for best contemporary music festival and he is hoping it can continue to surprise audiences.

“We hope that it will never become complacent or repetitive and that’s why we change it around every year we don’t want it to just get into a formula because it’s those formulaic festivals that come and go, they lose their moment,” he said.

Organisers say creativity and diversity are the key drivers.

The launch featured a metal band facing off against a classical violinist in a boxing ring.

The festival’s line up involves over 200 artists including The Orb, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Mick Harvey.

Mr Ritchie says the state government provides $350,000 a year for the festival, which helps it continue despite growing financial pressures.

“Artists costs are ever increasing, the expenses are increasing, so it does become more difficult every year to put on the festival, but creativity is the main part of the festival so we always feel like we always be presenting an incredibly diverse program of music.”