Brooklyn Guitar Festival to Launch in Greenpoint and Prospect Park This June

The inaugural two-day event will feature some of the world's most celebrated guitarists across jazz, blues-rock, and boundary-pushing styles.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 6:48pm

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A minimalist, abstract illustration featuring jagged geometric shapes and bold silhouettes in high-contrast red and white, conceptually representing the electric guitar and the diverse musical styles that will be showcased at the Brooklyn Guitar Festival.The Brooklyn Guitar Festival will bring together some of the world's most celebrated guitarists for a two-day celebration of the instrument's power and versatility.Brooklyn Today

The inaugural Brooklyn Guitar Festival will take over Greenpoint's Warsaw and Prospect Park's LeFrak Center at Lakeside on June 12–13, bringing together some of the world's most celebrated guitarists. The festival will feature full-length sets from jazz guitar icons Al Di Meola, John Scofield, Bill Frisell, and Mike Stern, along with blues-rock performances by Eric Gales, Ally Venable, and Jackie Venson. Boundary-pushing artists like Vernon Reid, Joel Harrison, and Andy McKee will also perform, with tribute concerts honoring guitar legends John Scofield and Jeff Beck.

Why it matters

The Brooklyn Guitar Festival aims to serve as a wide-ranging celebration of the guitar, highlighting both its history and future while reflecting its deep cultural ties to New York City. By bringing together some of the most accomplished guitarists across genres, the festival will showcase the full expressive range of the instrument and establish itself as an annual destination event for guitar enthusiasts.

The details

The festival will kick off with evening concerts on Friday, June 12 at Warsaw, a 1,000-capacity performance space in Greenpoint, and continue on June 13 with a daylong program at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park. The premiere lineup was curated by two New York City-based performers, Alex Skolnick and Joel Harrison, who aimed to highlight the instrument's range, from 'the sheer power and velocity' to 'the intimacy and the interplay.' The festival will also feature educational programming, including a master class led by John Scofield.

  • The inaugural Brooklyn Guitar Festival will take place on June 12–13, 2026.
  • The festival will kick off with evening concerts on Friday, June 12 at Warsaw.
  • The daylong program at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park will take place on June 13.

The players

Alex Skolnick

A metal and jazz guitarist best known as the lead guitarist of thrash-metal pioneers Testament, and one of the festival's curators.

Joel Harrison

A genre-blurring veteran of the New York music scene and founder of the Alternative Guitar Summit and its companion camp, and one of the festival's curators.

Al Di Meola

A jazz guitar icon who will perform a full-length set at the festival.

John Scofield

A jazz guitar icon who will perform with his trio and lead a master class as part of the festival's educational programming. The festival will also feature a tribute concert honoring Scofield.

Bill Frisell

A jazz guitar icon who will perform a full-length set at the festival and participate in the John Scofield tribute concert.

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What they’re saying

“Celebrate the instrument's range—not only the sheer power and velocity that a guitar can put forth, but the intimacy and the interplay.”

— Joel Harrison, Festival Curator

“The lineup represents some of the most accomplished guitarists across styles, each a leading light of their respective style.”

— Alex Skolnick, Festival Curator

What’s next

The festival organizers are developing additional educational programming, including the master class led by John Scofield, to be announced in the coming months.

The takeaway

The Brooklyn Guitar Festival is poised to become an annual destination event that celebrates the guitar's rich history and diverse musical styles, while also highlighting the instrument's continued evolution and influence in the hands of some of the world's most talented musicians.