History
The story of Guitar World Record began with a simple idea and a great passion.
The creator and artistic director of the event is Leszek Cichonski - guitarist, composer, educator and promoter of blues-rock guitar, who for years has been consistently building a culture of making music together in Poland. It was his idea that thousands of people could meet in one place and play a symbolic song side by side.
The seed
A group of 16 of Leszek's students played Hey Joe during the "Blues Express" workshops - the seed that later grew into a global phenomenon.
The first official edition
On May 10, 2003, the first official record attempt took place on Wroclaw Market Square. 588 guitarists played together.
Thanks Jimi Festival
From the second edition onward, Guitar World Record was dedicated to Jimi Hendrix and took place as part of the Thanks Jimi Festival.
Guinness World Record
The record was officially recognized by Guinness World Records - 6346 guitarists played together.
8122 guitarists
The record reached 8122 guitarists, creating the largest guitar orchestra in the world.
But the story of the record is not only about numbers.
It is the story of people travelling from across Poland and abroad.
It is the story of children learning their first five chords.
It is the story of professional musicians sitting next to amateurs and playing shoulder to shoulder.
It is also a story woven into the identity of Wroclaw - the City of Guitar.
Leszko of Wroclawek
On Wroclaw Market Square, by the lantern opposite the window facing Solny Square, where the record's main stage usually stands, there is a special dwarf - Leszko of Wroclawek. It is one of Wroclaw's dwarfs dedicated to Leszek Cichonski and Guitar World Record. It has become a symbol of the event and a permanent sign that playing together is now part of the city's identity. Just as other Wroclaw dwarfs tell the story of a place, Leszko symbolizes guitar, passion and shared vibration.
Today Guitar World Record is more than the annual event on May 1. It is a long-term process of building community, musical education and the idea of Uni-Vibe, which grew from a local initiative into an international phenomenon.
And it all started with one guitar.
And the idea of playing together.
