Adelaide Guitar Festival To Expand GUITARS IN BARS Program

A special edition of Adelaide Guitar Festival will be held in July, with the highly successful Guitars in Bars program extended, taking live music to even more people and places.

Guitars in Bars will run for the entire month, with registrations now open for both artists and venues.

Adelaide Guitar Festival Artistic Director Slava Grigoryan said 2019 is expected to be the biggest yet for Guitars in Bars: "Last year, Guitars in Bars ran for two weeks and it was a great success. There were 780 artists, 220 gigs and 100 venues. This year, we are doubling the duration to four weeks and our focus will be state-wide. We are encouraging regional and remote venues to sign up, to make sure as many people as possible can access live music and enjoy what's on offer. We'd like the whole state to come alive with music throughout July. For artists it's a great opportunity to promote their music to a wider audience, whether they are looking to establish themselves or have been playing for years. Guitars in Bars is open to everyone which is one of the reasons it's so successful."

Guitars in Bars connects musicians with venues through a venue directory. As well as pubs and bars, gigs can be held almost anywhere. A range of venues have already started signing up - including a guitar store in Port Lincoln, a brewery on Yorke Peninsula, and a distillery in the Riverland.

With a focus on regional touring, it is hoped musicians will think outside the city square when planning their gigs and make the most of the unique and creative venues available throughout SA.

Adelaide Guitar Festival, presented by Adelaide Festival Centre, is a biennial event with the next full program in 2020.

Annual events include Guitars in Bars, Winter School, Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition and Resonance - where world-class musicians take their music to hospitals, aged care homes and community centres.

This year, Adelaide Guitar Festival also presents a series of curated performances mid-July - intimate concerts to whet the appetite for next year's main event. Details will be announced in coming weeks.

Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier said it's about maintaining relationships and momentum: "Adelaide Guitar Festival is the most significant festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It has previously attracted the likes of Tommy Emmanuel, Albert Lee and Kaki King. We want to set the tone for 2020 and build excitement with a mixture of free and ticketed events this July. South Australians love live music, and we want to make it even more accessible, reaffirming our status as a UNESCO City of Music."

Artists and venues keen to sign up can do so at: https://www.adelaideguitarfestival.com.au/program/guitars-in-bars/

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