The Stoller Hall

After a hugely successful first year, we’re excited to announce that the Manchester Guitar Festival will return in 2023.

The second Manchester Guitar Festival will take place on 19-21 May 2023 with three days packed full of concerts, workshops and masterclasses with some of the finest guitar stars.

This weekend ticket allows you to gain access to all events on Saturday 20 May, excluding headliners and Stoller Story Sounds (pre-7pm).

You can book tickets for the headlining artists and find out more at our festival page here.

Bookers for our Saturday headlining event Espíritu Flamenco Presents Miguel Pérez, will also automatically get access to day ticket events.

Manchester Guitar Festival 2023 has been generously supported by The Granada Foundation.

What’s On for Saturday

Catch local venders including Forsyth’s Music and HM Pasties in our atrium throughout the day. Our bar will be open throughout, and we have performances in the atrium stage.

• From 12pm – Baden A
• From 2.30pm – Zac Gordon
• From 3.30pm – Joshua Preston
• From 5pm – Baden A
• From 5.30pm – Martin Hindley

Jon Gomm: Fingerstyle Masterclass
The Stoller Hall, 12noon-1pm

A masterclass from Jon Gomm for guitarists with good technical ability who want to develop their skills and understanding of fingerstyle guitar.

Some more details about the masterclass from Jon:

“My approach is to always see your guitar, playing technique and music theory as a set of creative tools, not a set of rules to follow.

In this masterclass, I’ll be demonstrating unorthodox approaches to the guitar, such as tapping and percussive fingerstyle. You’ll learn how to begin using both your hands to generate melody, harmony, bass lines, drums and other sounds from one guitar.

I’ll give an insight into how I apply those techniques, using simple music theory, to write music. I’ll also be explaining how to amplify these sounds, using pickups and other gear.

I guarantee you’ll acquire some new ideas to bring to your personal guitar universe, and an understanding of my unique perspective. And I’ll send you away with a PDF for the class with notation /guitar tab. I’ll be making time for questions, too, so please come at me with your best shot.”

Places will be first-come first-served for this event.

Flamenco Workshop
Ensemble Rooms, 2pm

Looking to learn or develop your flamenco technique?  Ahead of his headliner performance presented by Espiritu Flamenco, Miguel Pérez runs a workshop for guitarists of any ability.

Places will be first-come first-served for this event

Jon Gomm: Performance
The Stoller Hall, 3pm

Following his masterclass, Jon Gomm performs a set in The Stoller Hall. Featuring Becky Langan

Jim Faulker: Performance
Carole Nash Hall, 5pm

Jim’s band will be performing original compositions written by him, exploring his love of improvisation, interplay, and harmonies and rhythms that twist and turn. Joining him will be Kyran Mathews on Tenor Sax, Gavin Barras on double bass and Johnny Hunter on Drums, all brilliant musicians and established band leaders themselves. Jim will also be running a jazz guitar techniques performance on Sunday 21 May.