"There will be no alcohol," said Afisha magazine's editor-in-chief Yury Saprykin with an air of feigned dismay, "There will also be no OMON riot police, and no Dima Bilan. Everything will be good."

Afisha's Picnic, an outdoor, one-day music and entertainment extravaganza, has been successful over the past four years in drawing hordes of fans of expressions of eclectic, not-quite-mainstream pop culture: from indie rock to neo-disco and alternative hip hop.

"Apparently, you don't need alcohol to have fun," concluded Saprykin with a wide grin.

Indeed, fun is the order of the day, with such attractions as a roller-disco, a 200-square-meter swimming pool, video game rigs and various sports activities complete with DJs and international cuisine to be made available for ticket holders.

And those are just the peripheral attractions, giving attendees a change of pace from standing, swaying, jumping or moshing in front of the stages hosting some international music talent as well as local favorites.

The lineup, which Saprykin said he felt was better than last year, includes several groups that don't fit neatly into any specific musical genres by virtue of their broad palette of styles and influences.

For instance, the Colorado-based group DeVotchKa features a lead singer who also plays the theremin and bouzouki, while the bassist occasionally toots on a sousaphone, yielding the genre label of "gypsy punk/folk rock" on Wikipedia. For years the band independently funded production of its records by going on nationwide tours, finally getting their big break after playing at the Bonnaroo festival in 2006 and performing the score for the film Little Miss Sunshine, which was released the same year.

Afisha Colorado-based group DeVotchKa and French-Spanish group Sergeant Garcia are some of the foreign bands playing this saturday.

Sergeant Garcia is a popular French-Spanish ensemble that fuses salsa with reggae and ska, and is scheduled to play last on the smaller of two stages for live acts.

"Sergeant Garcia is a bit in the tradition of Manu Chao," Saprykin said, "with lots of energy and different styles combined to make a unique sound."

Besides the international fare, there will also be well-known Russian bands, including one notable blast from the past.

"Kombinatsia will be there," announced Saprykin at the news conference, which elicited laughter and incredulity from one of the journalists present. The Russian pop group, which broke old Soviet taboos in the late 1980s by wearing short skirts and singing about the usual pop music topics in an unusually uninhibited manner, will be performing at a disco roller rink where people can get their groove on while rolling on eight wheels.

Then there is Leningrad, the 14-member group known for its vulgar lyrics as well as elaborate props and costumes in its live performances. They will bring the day's festivities to a close on the main stage, from 8 p.m.

"Of course, Leningrad is the most popular group in the lineup, and we expect many people to come to watch," said Afisha representative Nastya Litenko.

As well as the live acts there will be several DJs spinning house, new rave, new disco, hip hop, and anything else that might get people dancing in broad daylight without the encouragement of intoxicating beverages.

Weather forecasts for Saturday predict heavy rains, thunder and lightning. Last year the persistent rain did not deter thousands from flocking to Kolomenskoye park to take part in the merrymaking.

"We hope it won't rain much this year, though it seems likely that it will. But it rained last year and over 48,000 people came anyway," said Litenko.

If the past is any indicator, it seems patrons of Afisha's picnic are too determined to have a good time to let the prohibition policy or a little rain get them down. Asked about the likelihood of a few showers, Saprkykin shrugged and said, "You can't live without water."

Afisha's Picnic will be held on July 19 at Kolomenskoye park, located at 39 Prospekt Andropova. Metro Kolomenskaya. Tel. 112-5217.