Story

Air Guitar World Championships

21.-23.8.2024 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 over 20 years. The battle, which once even raised heated discussion, has now become an international media magnet of good mood, 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 Festival, un umbrella organization that brings all manner of cultural events to the city of Oulu and its surroundings in August.

Hall of Fame

Air Guitar World Champion

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

Air Guitar Oulu

Airistotle

Matt Burns, USA
World Champion 2016, 2017

Ilmakitaran MM

Your Daddy

Kirill Blumenkrants, Russia
World Champion 2015

Air Guitar World Championships

Mean Melin

Eric Melin, USA
World Champion 2013

Air Guitar

Nordic Thunder

Justin Howard, USA
World Champion 2012
Air Guitar Ambassador