{"id":24996,"date":"2026-04-09T11:36:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T10:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/?p=24996"},"modified":"2026-04-09T11:41:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T10:41:01","slug":"ards-international-guitar-festival-celebrates-30-years-as-it-begins-next-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/2026\/04\/ards-international-guitar-festival-celebrates-30-years-as-it-begins-next-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Ards International Guitar Festival Celebrates 30 Years as It Begins Next Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

The much\u2011loved Ards International Guitar Festival returns to Newtownards next week, running from 15\u201319 April<\/strong>, marking an extraordinary 30 years of world\u2011class music, unforgettable performances and deep-rooted guitar heritage.<\/h4>\n

Organised by Ards and North Down Borough Council, this milestone edition brings a stellar line\u2011up of international and homegrown talent to the Borough.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Leading the celebrations is French guitar virtuoso Pierre Bensusan,<\/strong> who opens the festival as part of his 50th Anniversary World Tour. Known globally as \u201cMister DADGAD\u201d<\/em>, Bensusan\u2019s spellbinding solo performance at the Queen\u2019s Hall will be accompanied by a special on-stage conversation with George and Aaron Lowden, exploring his long-standing relationship with the renowned Lowden guitar brand.<\/p>\n

Also appearing is one of the world\u2019s most revered jazz guitarists, Martin Taylor<\/strong>, returning to Newtownards with his new solo show Standards<\/em>. A multi award\u2011winning fingerstyle icon, Taylor promises an intimate night of breathtaking musicianship and warm storytelling – highlighting timeless jazz classics that have defined his six\u2011decade career.<\/p>\n

Acoustic master Andy McKee<\/strong>, known for his percussive style and global online following, also joins this year\u2019s landmark programme with support from David Browne Murray.<\/strong> McKee\u2019s emotionally rich, genre\u2011blending performance is set to be a festival highlight for fans of modern acoustic guitar.<\/p>\n

Bringing the festival to a powerful close, hometown hero Ricky Warwick<\/strong> – celebrated for his work with The Almighty, Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy – returns to the Queen\u2019s Hall with The Fighting Hearts<\/strong>. Fresh from the success of his 2025 album Blood Ties<\/em>, Warwick promises an electrifying finale of raw energy, heartfelt lyrics and unmistakable rock pedigree.<\/p>\n

A centrepiece of the 30th Anniversary celebrations, The Luthier\u2019s Tale<\/strong> exhibition at Ards Arts Centre will honour Newtownards\u2019 unique guitar\u2011making heritage. Featuring the craftsmanship of Avalon luthiers, the exhibition offers a rare behind\u2011the\u2011scenes look at the artistry, innovation and legacy of local guitar makers whose instruments are renowned around the world.<\/p>\n

Festival Director Emily Crawford said:
\n\u201cWe are delighted to be marking such a significant year for the festival. The 2026 programme celebrates the incredible diversity of the guitar – from classical to jazz, blues, folk, contemporary and rock – with some very special nods to the artists, makers and audiences who have shaped the past three decades.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The Ards International Guitar Festival runs from 15 – 19 April<\/strong>. Full programme details and tickets are available at www.ardsguitarfestival.co.uk<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The much\u2011loved Ards International Guitar Festival returns to Newtownards next week, running from 15\u201319 April, marking an extraordinary 30 years of world\u2011class music, unforgettable performances and deep-rooted guitar heritage. Organised by Ards and North Down Borough Council, this milestone edition brings a stellar line\u2011up of international and homegrown talent to the Borough. Leading the celebrations … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24996"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24996"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24999,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24996\/revisions\/24999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}