Guitar Show 2025: Italy’s Gear Show Comes to Bologna!
Masterclasses, new gear, and much more!
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While the synthesizer world is abou to at Superbooth in Berlin this coming weekend, an similar event for guitar enthusiasts is taking place in Italy: Guitar Show 2025! The two-day event features numerous masterclasses and live performances. Above all, however, renowned manufacturers will be presenting their latest gear.
Guitar Show 2025: It’s Bologna-Time!
Since its first edition in 2016, the Guitar Show has established itself as Italy’s most important acoustic and electric guitars trade fair. With its relocation to Bologna, it now aims to achieve this status throughout Europe.
Pavilions 31, 32, and 33 at the BolognaFiere exhibition center in Bologna will host various presentations, masterclasses, and live shows. On the three stages of Guitar Shows 2025, new products will be presented on May 10 and 11, 2025. Masterclasses on topics such as playing technique and music theory will be held, and live performances by professional musicians will be shown, as well as numerous concerts.
Luca Friso: A New, More Central Location
Founder Luca Friso recounts in an interview with Planet Guitar (original in Italian / Google translation) how he put together the first edition of the trade fair in Padua in just three months. Since then, the Guitar Show has grown rapidly every year. Last year’s edition welcomed over 7,500 visitors over the two days of the fair.
The move to Bologna this year is primarily for logistical reasons. Bologna’s central location in Italy makes the Guitar Show 2025 easier to reach from all corners of the country, both for manufacturers and distributors as well as for the public. Bologna’s international airport is also only 15 minutes away from the exhibition center.
Over 200 Exhibitors
Well over 200 manufacturers will be presenting their latest gear at Guitar Show 2025. Among others, Blackstar, Ampeg, D’Addario, Digitech, Ibanez, Line 6, Orange, Roland, Sire (Larry Carlton and Marcus Miller), and Zoom will show their products in the three pavillons. The organizers have also devised a solution to one of the biggest problems at many music fairs: the volume level.
The three halls have been divided up. Hall 31 is the Play Area, where electrically amplified guitars and basses may be played, but only through headphones. Artist presentations may also only be given through headphones. Hall 32, the Quiet Area, is mainly home to luthiery, and mainly acoustic instruments will be played here.
In Hall 33, playing instruments will only be permitted in acoustically shielded sound booths; this is the Silent Area. In addition, there will be masterclasses at various manufacturer stands and on the stages on both days. Among others, Federico Malaman (one of Italy’s greatest electric bass talents and music YouTuber, here is an interview with Passione Strumenti (Google translation)), Andrea Braido (session guitarist who has toured with Lenny Kravitz and Lionel Richie (interview)) and many others will be there.
How much does it cost to attend the Guitar Show 2025?
Admission for one day costs 14 euros, while both days cost 24 euros: Tickets. This does not include the masterclasses mentioned above. Tickets for these can be purchased along with admission tickets on the Guitar Show 2025 website.
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