Dallas International Guitar Festival Celebrates 39th Anniversary

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Dallas International Guitar Festival
Photo by Chris Waits

The 39th Annual Dallas International Guitar Festival will be held Friday, April 29; Saturday, April 30; and Sunday, May 1, 2016 at Dallas Market Hall. Market Hall is located at 2200 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas, 75207, and provides ample free parking for show attendees.

Dallas International Guitar Festival hours are 12 noon to 7 p.m. Friday, April 29; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 30; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 1, with music all day.

The Dallas International Guitar Festival is the largest and oldest guitar show in the world, blending musicians, fans, collectors and celebrities together into one huge musical extravaganza. Visitors can buy, sell, trade, or just browse among the thousands upon thousands of new and vintage guitars, basses, amps, banjos, mandolins, straps and strings, effects pedals, keyboards, music memorabilia and more.

Enjoy live performances by more than 60 local, regional and national artists on the festival’s four music stages. This year’s lineup features such guitar greats as Robben Ford, Ruthie Foster, Anson Funderburg, Kim Wilson, Brad Whitford and Derek St. Holmes, Eric Gales, Gary Hoey, Monte Montgomery, Mark Lateria (Snarky Puppy), Sonny Landruth, Chris Duarte, Van Wilks, Redd Volkeart, Forrest Lee Jr., Buddy Whittington, Lance Lopez, Chris Rodriguez, Rick Vito, Johnny Hiland, and Jimmy Wallace and the Stratoblasters.

Catch the best in new young talent at the Texas 10 under 20 contest finals. Ten finalists under the age of twenty will be chosen, from competing bands and solo artists across all genres of music, to perform in the live showcase Sunday, May 1.

The festival features 800 booths and exhibits, where you can rub elbows with guitar legends and up-and-coming artists. Or get tips from the very best musicians at instructional clinics throughout the show. Also featured again this year is the Unplugged Room, especially for acoustic instruments.

A single day ticket price is $24 for adults and children 11 or older; free for children under 10. Two-day passes are $40, and three day passes are available for $50 each.

Admission to the Friday night concert, starting at 7 p.m., will be $10; free with a two-day or three-day pass. The Saturday night All Star Jam, starting at 8:30 p.m., is also $10; free with a two or three-day pass. The two-day pass includes either the Friday night or Saturday night concert, and the three-day pass includes both Friday and Saturday night concerts. Student tickets are available at the door only for $15 one day ticket; $30 for two day student pass and $40 for a three day student pass.

VIP passes that allow ticket holders to sit in the front few rows of all concerts are also available for single, two-day or three day admission tickets, priced at $40, $70 and $90. All tickets are available at the door. Advance tickets to the Dallas International Guitar Festival are also available online at www.guitarshow.com.

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend this year’s event at Dallas Market Hall, with over $3 million of instruments and memorabilia trading hands.

Sponsors for the 2016 Dallas International Guitar Festival are Toyota, Guitar Center, Guitar Player, Live Nation, Heritage Auctions, Kronenbourg 1664, 1664 Blanc, Crabbie’s, D’Addario, Fuller’s Vintage Guitar, Keeley Engineering, Jimmy Wallace Pickups, Guitar Sanctuary, Blue Star Connection, Kebo’s Bass Works, Levy’s Leather, Ernie Ball, Reverend, Marshall, Blue Book Publications, Taylor Guitars, SBAL, Warrior, Category 5, Dallas Observer, Gibson Custom, Gibson Acoustic, and Yamaha.