Manchester Guitar Festival 2023 – Frequently Asked Questions
The Manchester Guitar Festival takes take here at The Stoller Hall on Friday 19 – Sunday 21 May, featuring a full weekend of performances, workshops and masterclasses celebrating all aspects of the instrument. We know that some of you have questions about how the event is going to run, and we’ve answered some of the most common questions below.
If you have any other questions about the event, or would like any other information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can email us at any time at boxoffice@stollerhall.com, or call our box office team on 0333 130 0967 Tuesday – Thursday 1.30pm – 4pm.
What do I get access to if I have a headline ticket?
If you have a headline ticket for Eric Bibb on Friday 19 May, you will have access to the performances happening earlier in the evening (details tbc.)
If you have a headline ticket for Espíritu Flamenco Presents Miguel Pérez on Saturday 20 May or The Aquarelle Guitar Quartet on Sunday 21 May, you will have access to the day ticket events on that day, including performances, workshops and masterclasses. You can see the full programme for the Saturday here and the Sunday here. The only events excluded are the participation events for young people: Stoller Story Sounds, Guitar Choir and Guitar Academy.
What do I get access if I have a Saturday or Sunday day ticket?
You can have access to the full building during the day with all events including performances, workshops and masterclasses. You can see the full programme for the Saturday here and the Sunday here. The only events excluded are the participation events for young people: Stoller Story Sounds, Guitar Choir and Guitar Academy. You will not have access to the headline performances with these tickets.
How can I find out everything that’s going on?
You can find the individual day and headline listings on our What’s On pages, and you can also download our festival schedule (pdf.)
What Happens when I arrive?
Please have your ticket ready to show at the door, either on your phone/device or printed out. If you are collecting your ticket on the day or need to purchase a ticket on the day, you will be directed to our box office team. Day ticket holders, Saturday/Sunday headline ticket holders and participants for guitar choir/guitar academy will be given a wrist band so that you can come and go throughout the day. Please note that for the Saturday and Sunday evening events, you will need to bring your ticket to to the evening event (even if you already have a wristband) as there will be allocated seating.
Will there be food and drink available during the festival?
Our atrium bar will be open throughout the weekend with a selection of soft drinks, tea and coffee and alcohol, as well as snacks.
We’re also delighted to have local company HM Pasties joining us over the weekend, providing a selection of meat, vegetarian and vegan pasties from the atrium.
Are families and young children welcome?
Absolutely – we welcome families to the festival. We do have our Stoller Story Sounds events for little ones aged 3-5 (this is separate to the main festival ticket, and sessions can be booked here.) Families are also welcome to enjoy our performances throughout the day, and you can find out more about our family-friendly facilities here. If you have a child aged 8 – 16 who is already a budding guitarist, they may be interested in signing up to Guitar Choir.
Is there a full list of events happening at the festival?
You can see a full overview of events on our main festival page, and details of individual workshops and performances on the Saturday and Sunday day ticket pages.
You can also find out more about the performers and facilitators on our ‘Who to See at Manchester Guitar Festival’ page.
How do I sign up to the first-come-first-served workshops?
We will have a sign-up system at the box office when you arrive on the day.
Do I need to have a guitar or be a musician in order to enjoy the Guitar Festival?
Definitely not! We will have performances throughout the day in The Stoller Hall, The Carole Nash Hall and the Atrium that you can watch and enjoy, and you are also welcome to sit in and watch the workshops and masterclasses if spaces are available.
However, if you have booked a child or young person onto Guitar Choir or Guitar Academy, they will need to bring an instrument with them.
Do I need to be a certain level or ability on the guitar to come to the workshops and masterclasses?
We’re aiming these sessions at all abilities, from beginner to advanced and we’re sure that whatever level you are, you’ll leave having learned something new.
For Guitar Choir and Guitar Academy, we do ask that the participants have some level of knowledge. You can find the details on the individual booking pages.
Is there a place that I can safely leave my guitar if I bring one?
We will have an area where guitars can be left. We should however stress that instruments are left at your own risk. Alternatively, you can bring guitars into the other performances as long as they do not block aisle areas.
