Australian Musician magazine has been intrinsically connected to the Melbourne Guitar Show since 2015 and that relationship is set to continue with our exclusive announcement of dates and new venue for the 2025 event.
The Melbourne Guitar Show is making a big move in 2025 to a new home in the inner west at the Melbourne Showgrounds, on 1st-2nd March 2025. After a successful transition to a new timeslot at the post-covid show in 2023, the Melbourne Guitar Show will remain on the first weekend in March.
“We had a lot of great feedback about the last Melbourne Guitar Show,” said Alex Masso, Executive Officer of the Australian Music Association (AMA) and producer of the event. “After that, we had a lot of discussion about how to build on the success of the show, what people liked and didn’t like, how to move into the next phase, and in particular whether we could use a different venue with a new layout and new opportunities. We have found a great space at the Victoria Pavillion and Royal Block, one of Melbourne’s great exhibition spaces at the Showgrounds which creates some new opportunities and a new look for this great event.”
The show is opening for exhibitor registrations, first for Australian Music Association (AMA) members then to any interested exhibitors in September, and public tickets will be on sale in December along with the program announcement.
“We will make some changes to the program, trying new things and using the venue in a different way, but there will still be plenty to see and do” said Masso. “We’re also going to introduce ‘quiet time’ in the mornings, without amplifiers. If you love to come and try guitars through amps and be part of the really unique feeling of a bustling guitar show, we’ll still have that in the afternoons, but we know some people want to see the show in a quieter environment so we’re offering that option for part of the day as well.”
The Melbourne Guitar Show will continue to be a unique showcase of acoustic and electric guitars, amps, pedals, basses and ukuleles, accessories, and other gear used by guitarists.
For five consecutive years from 2015 to 2019, Australian Musician played a large role in the promotion of the Melbourne Guitar Show before Covid struck and ruined the party. Of course, as soon as it was possible the show was revived in 2023, resulting in a memorable show which included international acts such as Eric Bibb and Canadian guitar wizard Nick Johnston, as well as the finest Australian exponents of the fretted instrument, including Simon Hosford, Lloyd Spiegel, James Ryan, Nick Charles, Julz Parker and many more.
The best thing about the Melbourne Guitar Show is that you never know who you’re going to run into, there’s always as many legendary guitarists walking the floor, checking out the exhibitor’s gear as there are on stage. Regulars to MGS will have fond memories of the end of show jams and the opportunity to see amazing guitar legends such as Albert Lee, Steve Hackett from Genesis, Periphery’s Jake Bowen and our own Diesel or Brett Garsed up close and personal at past shows. MGS is eternally full of surprises, and for the kids, it’s so inspirational so bring the family. If you’ve been to one Melbourne Guitar Show, you’ll find that muscle memory automatically pulls you back, year in, year out. It’s a not to be missed event for guitarists and music fans alike.
Standby for news on the 2025 Melbourne Guitar Show exhibitor list and artist programme. All will be revealed in the coming months but for now, just know that it’s back, it’s happening and we’ll be bringing you all the MGS news as it happens.
MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW 2025 DETAILS
Dates: Saturday 1st – Sunday 2nd March, 2025
Venue: Victoria Pavillion & Royal Block @ Melbourne Showgrounds
Times: 10am-6pm Saturday, 10am-4pm Sunday
MGS Contact: guitarshow@australianmusic.asn.au