Eindhoven has gained a new festival, and what a festival it is! From May 10, 2023, during BRIDGE the entire Brainport region will be dedicated to the world’s most played instrument: the guitar! The new, multi-day, all-round guitar festival is unique in its kind: from classical to blues, from jazz to rock, from flamenco to pop, all genres are covered. Live music therefore plays a major role within BRIDGE, many guitarists travel to the festival within various formats. In addition, there will be plenty of workshops, master classes, an extensive exhibition, living room concerts, online activities, playful programs in the open air, a talk show, documentaries and educational elements. All under the banner of a number of pillars, namely: innovation, education, participation, inclusion and, of course, the great common love of the guitar. This fulfills a need within the entire Brainport region: connection, with each other, for each other. In other words: from May 10 to 14, 2023 we will build a bridge together, BRIDGE is born!

What’s also great is that, in addition to some very special concerts for which separate tickets must be purchased, a freely accessible city festival will be organized in Eindhoven Center from Friday, May 12 to Sunday, May 14. Divided over five locations, namely Café Wilhelmina, Altstadt, De Rozenknop, The Jack and Effenaar, there will be great artists on stage on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday and Sunday there will even be two outdoor stages, at the Wilhelmina and September 18 square.

VERY SPECIAL CONCERTS

Master guitarist Steve Vai + Metropole Orkest (led by conductor Jukka Lisakkila) present a very special world premiere in Muziekgebouw Eindhoven on Saturday, May 13. You can read all about it elsewhere on this website! And on Sunday, May 14, you can relax from this concert during Robin Scherpen’s performance in the Paterskerk, where visitors are invited to enjoy his music lying down. Tickets for both Steve Vai and Robin Scherpen’s concert are now on sale. For tickets of Steve Vai + Metropole Orkest click here and if you want to see Robin Scherpen you should click here.

MORE IS COMING

On this website you will find all available information about the 360˚ guitar festival so far. As of today the website will be regularly updated with new program elements for BRIDGE, but we can already reveal that, among other things, there will be an impressive Guitar Convention in Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. Here enthusiasts can find the latest technical gadgets about the guitar as well as attend interesting master classes and workshops. In addition, during BRIDGE we will launch an exciting talk show entitled Guitar Inside. The talk show can be attended both live and online and the presentation is in the hands of Eefke Boelhouwers, with Eindhoven’s guitar-smart and journalist Niels Guns as a regular table guest. Who the other guests are will be announced at a later stage. Besides the Guitar Convention, about which more later, and Guitar Inside, we are working hard with some music schools, venues and entrepreneurs on a number of projects and we will also go into the neighborhoods with living room concerts. And as if it were not enough, on Sunday, May 14, you will find interesting documentaries and lunch concerts at special locations in the Brainport region throughout the festival.

Source : Bridge Festival Website