Rare vintage instruments, legendary players, a buy-sell-trade floor, and three nights of live concerts — the Dallas International Guitar Festival is a bucket-list event for anyone who loves music.
Most music festivals give you a stage and a crowd. The Dallas International Guitar Festival gives you all of that — plus thousands of guitars you can actually touch, trade, and take home.
The oldest and largest guitar event in the world, the Dallas International Guitar Festival brings together guitar collectors, enthusiasts, and musicians to create the best guitar and music festival anywhere — with live music, buying, selling, and trading all under one roof in Dallas, Texas. This year’s 43rd edition runs May 1 through 3, 2026, at Dallas Market Hall.
How It All Started
The story of this festival is a Texas original. It began in the early 1980s as a small gathering of guitar enthusiasts organized by Charley Wirz, a beloved Dallas guitar dealer who wanted to create a space where players and collectors could come together. When Wirz died in 1985, one of his closest friends and customers, Mark Pollock, took over management of the festival and initiated several major changes — including moving the event to the Dallas Convention Center to accommodate larger crowds and more vendors, and bringing in prominent musicians to participate in an annual Saturday Night Jam.
As attendance grew, Pollock invited fellow guitar dealer Jimmy Wallace to join as a partner in 1989. By 1996 the two relocated the festival to Fair Park. The following year they expanded the performance component by ushering in Music Fest and adding more stage areas. In 2004, Pollock and Wallace moved into Market Hall, the largest privately-owned exhibit hall in the country — where the festival has called home ever since.
Four decades later, what Charley Wirz started in a small Dallas showroom is now recognized worldwide as the premier guitar event on the planet.
What You’ll Find on the Floor
The festival showcases hundreds of new, used, and vintage guitars and accessories from manufacturers like Gibson, Peavey, and Marshall, as well as items from individual collectors, local and regional music shops, and major retailers like Guitar Center. Enthusiasts can buy, sell, and trade across a diverse selection of styles and genres, and score deals on everything from amps and stomp boxes to strings, hardware, cables, straps, and picks.
If you’ve ever dreamed of finding a rare vintage instrument — a 1950s Fender, a pre-war Martin, a hand-built luthier piece — this is the floor to walk. Attendees can also explore handcrafted pieces from talented luthiers and the latest in cutting-edge guitar technology. Clinics, masterclasses, and workshops led by industry pros cover everything from guitar repair and tone shaping to music career development. Beginner guitar lessons and interactive demos make this a genuinely family-friendly experience too — you don’t have to be a player to have a great time here.
The 2026 Performer Lineup
This year’s concert lineup is stacked. Confirmed performers for 2026 include Sonny Landreth, Vernon Reid, Philip Sayce, Ally Venable, Joanna Connor, Frank Hannon, Derek St. Holmes, Monte Montgomery, Ariel Posen, Buddy Whittington, Redd Volkaert, Rocky Athas, Jake Andrews, Larry Mitchell, John Page, Denny Jiosa, and Jimmy Wallace — with more across all three days and multiple stages.
Rocky Athas joins the Saturday, May 2 lineup at 2:15 p.m. — a Texas guitar legend who has shared stages with some of the biggest names in blues and rock. Evening concerts run after the exhibit hall closes each night, giving you a full day of shopping and a full night of music. VIP upgrade tickets for front-row seating at the main concerts are worth it — arrive early, as those front rows fill fast.
What to Know Before You Go
Friday hours are noon to 7 p.m., with the Friday Night Concert beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the Saturday Night Concert at 8 p.m. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Children 10 and under are admitted free. Food and beverages are available at the venue. Dallas Market Hall offers optional valet parking at the front door and plenty of free lot parking.
Event Details
Event: Dallas International Guitar Festival 2026 — 43rd Annual Dates: Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3, 2026 Location: Dallas Market Hall, 2200 N Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207
Hours: Friday, May 1: Noon – 7 p.m. / Friday Night Concert at 9 p.m. Saturday, May 2: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. / Saturday Night Concert at 8 p.m. Sunday, May 3: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Admission: Children 10 and under free / General admission and VIP upgrades available
Website: guitarshow.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (972) 240-2206 Facebook:
Dallas International Guitar Festival Instagram: @dallasguitarfestival
