The Air Guitar World Championships returned to Oulu, Finland, for their 30th edition, bringing together more than 50 performers from 13 countries. The event, held as part of the Oulu August Festival and the Delta Life summer carnival, crowned Finnish favourite Aapo “The Angus” Rautio as champion for the second consecutive year.
Rautio, performing in front of a home crowd in the city that is currently serving as a European Capital of Culture, scored 34.8 points in the final. His routine impressed a jury of performing arts professionals, who judged each contestant’s 60-second performance on stage presence, technicality, and sheer air-guitar conviction.
A festival with a message
The championships, first held in 1996, have grown from a quirky local event into an international celebration. Organisers say the purpose is to promote world peace, arguing that if everyone played air guitar together, conflicts would end, climate change would stop, and all bad things would disappear. While that claim remains untested, the event has certainly spread good-natured fun and laughter, with the final livestreamed to thousands of viewers beyond Finland.
This year’s competition saw Japan’s Nanami “Seven Seas” Nagura take second place, while Saladin “Six String Sal” Thomas of the United States finished third. The podium reflected the global reach of an event that has become a staple of Finland’s summer festival circuit.
Oulu, which was named European Capital of Culture for 2026, provided a fitting backdrop for the milestone edition. The city has embraced the championships as part of its cultural identity, and the event drew both local spectators and international visitors.
Despite the enthusiasm and energy on stage, there is little sign yet of world peace being declared. But organisers remain hopeful, with fingers at the ready.
The Air Guitar World Championships are a reminder that sometimes the most serious messages come wrapped in the most playful packages. As the event enters its fourth decade, it continues to attract a diverse range of performers, from seasoned veterans to first-time competitors, all united by a shared love of imaginary rock stardom.
For those unable to attend in person, the livestream offered a glimpse of the action, and the organisers have promised that the spirit of the event will continue to grow. Whether it will ever achieve its stated goal of global harmony remains to be seen, but for one weekend in Oulu, the world seemed a little lighter.
