All things stringed | WA’s annual guitar festival returns in October
STRINGS Attached: The West Australian Guitar Festival returns to Margaret River for the third year in October, with a varied program of live performances, workshops, masterclasses, exhibitions and more for guitar players, makers and enthusiasts to enjoy across the festival weekend.
Festival director Dan White said he was extremely excited to see the festival back for another year after what he said was a challenging time for the events and music industries.
“There’s a lot of excitement within the industry for bringing back large scale events and welcoming touring artists to WA again, which we’ll be making the most of this year alongside a strong showcase of local talent,” White said.
Featuring more than 80 events taking place across a dozen venues throughout Margaret River, and with the festival hub once again located at the Margaret River HEART, the festival showcases some of Australia’s most prominent guitarists and luthiers.
“We’ve got live performances, from blues and roots, world and jazz, metal and rock, country, classical and more.”
Last year’s festival saw weekend passes sell out ahead of schedule, and some latecomers turned away at the door of sellout live performances.
More than 60 artists joined the lineup along with over 40 workshops, masterclasses and Q&A sessions and presentations, attracting over 5000 people across the three-day event window.
“We credit local support and overall huge support across WA for local music in making this happen,” White said of the 2021 event.
“The industry was hit hard by COVID-19 and it’s awesome to see how everyone has rallied behind the sector to get it up and going again. ”
The program boasts exhibition and demonstrations from guitar makes, retailers, gear manufacturers and distributors, as well as special items from private collections, an instruments for sale.
“There are workshops, masterclasses and panel A&As with artists and luthiers to really dive into the world of guitars and learn directly from leaders within the industry.
“You can also sharpen your songwriting, learn what goes into building guitars and get the opportunity to ask how your favourite artists approach their instruments.”
FIND OUT MORE
Strings Attached: The West Australian Guitar Festival runs from October 7-9 in the Margaret River Region. First Release Weekend Passes are now on sale HERE.
For more information including early access to ticket releases and program announcements, sign up to the mailing list HERE.
Read original Augusta Margaret River Mail article HERE.