This Saturday, 30 May, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven hosts The Bridge Guitar Convention. The Bridge Guitar Convention is one of the highlights of the Bridge Guitar Festival Eindhoven (27-31 May 2026), billed as the biggest and most diverse guitar festival in the Benelux. Whether you’re into gear hunting, learning from world-class players, or getting hands-on in a workshop, this is the day to be in Eindhoven.
What Is the Bridge Guitar Convention?
The Convention runs from 11:00 to 18:00 at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven and packs an enormous amount into a single day: a major guitar and bass trade fair, masterclasses by some of the Netherlands’ and world’s finest guitarists, interactive workshops, panel discussions, and live performances. Tickets are €17.50 (students and children €10), and you can grab yours at bridgefestival.com.
Over 70 Brands on the Show Floor
The trade fair features more than 70 brands, from household names like Martin, Vox, and Yamaha to boutique makers like Dejawu, RH Guitars, and Unquendor. You’ll be able to try out highlights including Crafter parlour guitars, Vox VT-X Classic Blue amps, the Alutone Resona aluminium guitar, the Line 6 Helix Stadium Floor processor, and Martin’s Road series acoustics, among many others. For gear nerds, this alone is worth the trip.
Masterclasses: Amps or Modeling?
The central theme of this year’s masterclasses is “Amps or Modeling?” – arguably the hottest debate in guitar circles right now. Do you stick with tube amps and complex pedalboards, or do you embrace modeling and hybrid systems? It’s a question plenty of us wrestle with, and some seriously talented players are going to dig into it.
The guitar masterclass schedule:
- 11:15 Vedran Mircetic (De Staat)
- 12:15 Remi Lauw (SecretRendezvous)
- 13:30 Eran Har Even & Attie Bauw (Subsix)
- 14:30 Yvette Terpstra (Froukje, Nick Schilder)
- 15:30 Frank Gambale (Cort clinic)
- 16:15 Leendert Haaksma (Anouk)
- 16:30 Thomas Zwijsen (Ortega performance)
- 17:15 Matthias van Beek (Rudeboy, Anneke van Giersbergen)
Frank Gambale, best known for his work with Chick Corea’s Elektric Band, is a standout on that list. If you’ve ever wanted to see one of fusion’s most technically gifted players up close, this is a rare opportunity.
Bassists are well catered for too, with masterclasses from Marilonah Copra, Tom Radsma, Dave Swift (Jools Holland), and Michel van Schie.
Workshops You Can Actually Join
Workshops are free with a Convention ticket, but pre-registration is required and spaces are limited. The options cover a solid range of styles and skill levels:
- Effects & Sound with Django Trienes and Abel van der Waals
- Improvisation with Ella Zirina
- Metal Guitar Orchestra with Javier Valdi & Ivar Useinov
- Blues Guitar Orchestra with Bram van den Brekel
- Bass Orchestra with Timothy Dunn
Register in advance at gitarist.nl/events/bridge.
More to See and Do
The Demo Stage in the Second Foyer features talks throughout the day, including Paul Lenders on custom pedalboards and rack systems (a man who built his first pedalboard back in 1976), a deep dive into Alutone’s aluminium guitars, and a presentation on getting great tones at low stage volume using Blackstar’s current range.
There’s also a panel discussion called De Indische Connectie, exploring the significant influence of Indo and Moluccan guitarists on Dutch pop and music history, centred around the book *SNAAR*. And the Gitarist Poll Awards will be presented during the day.
After the Convention
From 18:00, Bridge Around Town kicks off with 26 free concerts at venues throughout Eindhoven’s city centre. After that, The Aristocrats featuring Guthrie Govan take the main stage at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven – a perfect way to end what looks like a genuinely brilliant day for anyone who loves the guitar.
The Details
Date: Saturday 30 May 2026
Time: 11:00 – 18:00
Venue: Muziekgebouw Eindhoven
Tickets: €17.50 / Students & Children €10
Tickets: bridgefestival.com
Workshop sign-up: gitarist.nl/events/bridge
If you’re in the area, this one is not to be missed. We’ll see you there!
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