The Belgian Air Guitar Championships are taking place in Brussels on Thursday, welcoming both newcomers and returning stars to choose a worthy contestant to send to the world air guitar finals in Finland in August.
To spectators air guitar may seem silly, an unusual form of entertainment at best. But avid air performers and enthusiastic headbangers argue that it is more than that: it fosters friendships in a community of like-minded people, opens doors to unusual experiences and offers people a safe space to feel free.
"I started this as a joke but realised air guitar isn't just a gimmick; it's something that really brings people together with values of openness and tolerance," former Belgian Air Guitar Champion Corentin Fermont told The Brussels Times. "Our message includes ecological values and calls for peace."
When air guitar officially became a sport and competition in 1996, the concept was created by hippies who believed that if everyone had an air guitar in their hand, they wouldn't be able to hold weapons and there would be no more war in the world. "This is obviously said with a sense of humour, but there's a real desire to be peaceful."
More importantly, performers see air guitar as a way to let off steam. "When you dress up and get on stage you become another character. It's like theatre, but more energetic," Fermont said. "People who are very closed get into character and let go. You have to experience it to really understand the power of air guitar."
"I now have friends all over the world because I started playing air guitar in a bar 15 years ago. It has given me more than I could have ever imagined. There's nothing to lose and everything to gain."
Bringing air guitar back to Belgium
The first Belgian Air Guitar Championships date back to 2009 when Fermont was crowned the winner. The competition continued until 2015 when the former organiser bowed out from the world of invisible instruments. Four years later, spurred by the desire to strum the air strings again, Fermont teamed up with another former champion.
But the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the relaunch until 2023 when air guitar rockstars returned to the stage after an eight-year hiatus.
Two-time champion Dirty Beaujolais. Credit: Air Guitar Belgium
Meanwhile, the World Air Guitar Championships, first organised in 1996, continued to take place in Oulu, Finland, bringing together performers from across the world.
In 2023, Belgium sent a contestant to the global play-off for the first time in years. On Thursday, the next champion will be chosen to travel to Oulu for the 27th edition of the World Championships in August. The Belgian finals will take place in community centre De Kriekelaar in Schaerbeek, Brussels.
Unlike last year when the event only took place in Brussels, the competition returned to its original grandeur this year with qualifier rounds in various Belgian cities. "Last year we wanted to start again slowly. But it went so well that we decided to expand," Fermont explained. "This is just the beginning. We are going to get even bigger."
Defending titles and drag
Fermont said that the audience should expect the unexpected on Thursday evening. "For the first time, we have added an exceptional drag show to the programme, presented by Raoul Les Mécaniques. In this way, we hope to open up air guitar to all communities." Italian-Belgian band Romano Nervoso will also be taking to the stage.
When it comes to participants, Fermont noted that two-time champion Dirty Beaujolais will be performing to defend his title (he won in 2015 and 2023). Other regular performers will be battling to become the champion. "I have heard the songs they are going to perform and it promises to be a great show," Fermont said.
However, he stressed that the sport is not competitive. "Everyone is on the same level and encourages each other; we are happy when someone else wins."
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To decide who is the ultimate winner, the jury – consisting of radio presenters, TikTok influencers and a dubbing actor who does the French voice of Rick in Rick and Morty – scores performers for their technique ("they must always be playing when we hear guitar") and stage presence ("the extent to which you see a rockstar on stage").
"A special term was invented for air guitarists in Finland called 'Airness'," Fermont explained. "This refers to the magic spark that can be seen in the next champion." As well as winning the title of Belgian champion, whoever finishes in first place also wins a genuine STAGG guitar and a paid trip to represent Belgium at the World Championships.
While Fermont expects several hundreds of spectators at Thursday's final, the World Championships are held in front of 4,000 to 5,000 people and broadcast live to around 30,000 spectators each year.
"When you're performing in a small bar, the movement feels very small. But it's thanks to the Championship that we realise we are part of a huge community spread across the world."
