This year's programme is now live. Download the 2009 Programme as a PDF file: 2009 PROGRAMME (pdf)

The Clonakilty International Guitar Festival first established in 2005 in association with Guinness and thanks to local sponsors, is a celebration of one of the worlds most versatile and influential of all musical instruments and pays tribute to all who strum those hallowed six strings. From September 17th to the 20th a huge array of national & international virtuosos and innovative guitarists will once again descend on the seaside town of Clonakilty washing the streets, parks and pubs with every pick, every strum and every tone of music that any acolyte of this glorious instrument could wish for!

Click on the YouTube link on the left to watch John Spillane inviting you to take part in the World Record attempt at the Largest Ensemble Guitar Performance! This will take place in Clonakilty on Saturday the 19th of September.

This year’s festival will see an attempt at breaking the World Record for Largest Ensemble Guitar Performance! This will take place in Clonakilty on Saturday the 19th of September and will see over 2000 people attempting to play the same song, at the same time, together, on that majestic instrument we call the guitar!(not the same guitar obviously!) So this is a call to all you closet guitarists, all you two chord heroes, all you keepers and guardians of budding musicians………………….THE GUITARFEST NEEDS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Sign up on our website with ‘world record’ in the name space and you will be submitted to our database to take part in what is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records! This open air event will be lead by some of the finest musicians in the world and will be followed by a musical extravaganza!

The rest of the festival will again pick up where 2008 let off with even more of the events that have made the last four years so special in Clonakilty. With All-age Workshops, Performances, Seminars, Concerts & sessions throughout the beautiful seaside town of Clonakilty!