
Air Guitar World Championships
26.-29.8.2026 Oulu, Finland
Make Air Not War
The purpose of the Air Guitar World Championships is to promote world peace.
According to the competition ideology, wars will end, climate change will stop and all bad things will vanish when all the people in the world play the air guitar.
That’s why everyone is invited at the end of the competition to play the air guitar all at once to save the world.
Since 1996
Peaceful gunpowder has been tooted into the atmosphere from Oulu for nearly 30 years. Today, the Air Guitar World Championships is one of Oulu’s most internationally recognised phenomena and a media magnet, built on the foundation of captivating and avowed enthusiasts around the world.
Air guitar playing is not instrumental sports or arts, nor does it require any special venues or skills, so it is accessible to all. Air guitar can be grasped regardless of gender, age, ethnic background, sexual orientation and social status. Air guitar playing is equal.
Air Guitar World Championships have the EcoCompass environmental certificate. We aim at reducing the environmental strain caused by events and want to be in the frontline of the field of events in sustainable development. By taking care of the environment, we also take care of the quality of our mutual instrument: all the air guitars in the world.
Air Guitar World Championships is part of Oulu August Festivals, un umbrella organization that brings all manner of cultural events to the city of Oulu and its surroundings in August.
Hall of Fame

The Angus
Aapo Rautio, Finland
World Champion 2025

Ichabod Fame
Zachary Knowles, Canada
World Champion 2024

Seven Seas
Nanami Nagura, Japan
World Champion 2014, 2018, 2023

Guitarantula
Kirill Blumenkrants, France
World Champion 2022

Nordic Thunder
Justin Howard, USA
CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS 2021

The Marquis
Rob Messel, USA
World Champion 2019

Airistotle
Matt Burns, USA
World Champion 2016, 2017

Your Daddy
Kirill Blumenkrants, Russia
World Champion 2015



















