Update: the 2026 Bridge Guitar Convention took place on Saturday 30 May. We’ve kept the full programme below as a guide to what the event offers. Keep an eye on bridgefestival.com for the next edition, and see our calendar of guitar events in Europe for other shows.
On Saturday 30 May 2026, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven hosted The Bridge Guitar Convention, one of the highlights of the Bridge Guitar Festival Eindhoven (27 to 31 May 2026). The festival bills itself as the biggest and most diverse guitar festival in the Benelux. Gear hunting, learning from world-class players, hands-on workshops: this was the day to be in Eindhoven.
What Is the Bridge Guitar Convention?
The Convention ran from 11:00 to 18:00 at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven and packed a lot into a single day: a big guitar and bass trade fair, masterclasses from some of the best guitarists in the Netherlands and beyond, interactive workshops, panel discussions and live performances. Tickets were €17.50 (students and children €10).
More Than 70 Brands on the Show Floor
The trade fair featured more than 70 brands, from big names like Martin, Vox and Yamaha to boutique makers like Dejawu, RH Guitars and Unquendor. Highlights to try included Crafter parlour guitars, Vox VT-X Classic Blue amps, the Alutone Resona aluminium guitar, the Line 6 Helix Stadium Floor and Martin’s Road Series acoustics. For gear nerds, that alone was worth the trip.
Masterclasses: Amps or Modelling?
The theme of this year’s masterclasses was “Amps or Modeling?”, probably the hottest debate in the guitar world right now. Stick with valve amps and big pedalboards, or go with modelling and hybrid rigs? (If you’re weighing that up yourself, read our Quad Cortex Mini review and our NUX MG-300 review.)
The guitar masterclass schedule:
- 11:15 Vedran Mircetic (De Staat)
- 12:15 Remi Lauw (SecretRendezvous)
- 13:30 Eran Har Even and 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, stood out. Seeing one of fusion’s most technically gifted players up close is a rare chance.
Bassists were well looked after too, with masterclasses from Marilonah Copra, Tom Radsma, Dave Swift (Jools Holland) and Michel van Schie.
Workshops You Could Join
Workshops were free with a Convention ticket, with pre-registration required and limited places:
- Effects and Sound with Django Trienes and Abel van der Waals
- Improvisation with Ella Zirina
- Metal Guitar Orchestra with Javier Valdi and Ivar Useinov
- Blues Guitar Orchestra with Bram van den Brekel
- Bass Orchestra with Timothy Dunn
More to See and Do
The Demo Stage in the Second Foyer hosted talks all day, including Paul Lenders on custom pedalboards and rack systems (he built his first pedalboard in 1976), a deep dive into Alutone’s aluminium guitars, and a session on getting great tones at low stage volume with Blackstar’s current range.
There was also a panel discussion, De Indische Connectie, on the major influence of Indo and Moluccan guitarists on Dutch pop history, centred on the book SNAAR. The Gitarist Poll Awards were presented during the day as well.
After the Convention
From 18:00, Bridge Around Town kicked off with 26 free concerts at venues around Eindhoven city centre. After that, The Aristocrats featuring Guthrie Govan took the main stage at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, a perfect end to the day.
The Details
| Date | Saturday 30 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Time | 11:00 to 18:00 |
| Venue | Muziekgebouw Eindhoven |
| Tickets | €17.50, students and children €10 |
| Tickets and info | bridgefestival.com |
| Workshop sign-up | gitarist.nl/events/bridge |
Heading to a Guitar Event?
Taking part in a workshop or masterclass is much more fun on a guitar that plays well. GuitarBuddy in Zandvoort offers guitar setups and repairs for players in Haarlem, Aerdenhout and Amsterdam, so your guitar is ready before the next show.
