Dallas International Guitar Festival Features Young Artists
The 40th Anniversary Dallas International Guitar Festival at Dallas Market Hall will add a new feature this May 5-7. The Texas 10 under 20 stage — bands with “young guns” under 20 years old — will now hold live performances all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The 10 under 20 showcase competition will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday morning, featuring the best in new, young talent. 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 Sunday, May 7 showcase.
The 40th Annual Dallas International Guitar Festival (DIGF) will be Friday, May 5, Saturday, May 6, and Sunday, May 7 at Dallas Market Hall. Market Hall, located at 2200 Stemmons Freeway in Dallas, has ample free parking for show attendees. DIGF hours are 12 noon to 7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, with continuous music throughout the festival.
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.
Ted Nugent Performs Sunday, May 7
Listen to the best local and regional bands at the festival’s multiple stages. Enjoy performances by more than 60 local, regional and national artists performing on the festival’s four music stages. This year’s lineup features the return of guitar great Ted Nugent. He will perform Sunday afternoon, May 7.
Past and present headliners include George Lynch, Eric Gales, Sonny Landreth, Ian Moore, Derek St. Holmes, Rick Vito, Andy Timmons, Chris Duarte, Gary Hoey, Mark Lettieri, Jimmy Wallace and Stratoblasters, Paul Reed Smith, Buddy Whittington, Jim Suhler, Alan Haynes, Wes Jeans, Maylee Thomas, Quinten Hope, and Ally Venable.
The festival will feature more than 800 booths and exhibits. Attendees can rub elbows with guitar legends and up-and-coming artists. While aspiring musicians can get tips from the very best musicians at instructional clinics throughout the show. The Unplugged Room for acoustic instruments will be featured again this year.
Guitar Festival Tickets Are Available
A single day ticket price is $24 for adults and children 11 or older. Two-day passes are $40, and three day passes are available for $50 each.Tickets will be free for children under 10.
Admission to the Friday night concert which will be held off premises at Gas Monkey Live at 7 p.m., is $10. Admission is free with a two-day or three-day pass.
The Saturday night All Star Jam, to be held at Market Hall 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 are available for single, two-day or three day admission tickets, priced at $40, $70 and $90. With a VIP pass, ticket holders get closer to the action!
All tickets are available at the door. Advance tickets to the Dallas International Guitar Festival are available online at www.guitarshow.com.
More than 20,000 people are expected to attend this year’s 40th anniversary festival at Dallas Market Hall. DIGF is sponsored by Live Nation, GuitarPlayer, Gas Monkey Live, Guitar Center, St. Killian Importing, and Heritage Auctions.
For more information and an updated schedule of events and performers, please visit the website at www.guitarshow.com.
