Finland Rocks Again With Air Guitar Victory

A hometown hero

After a 25-year wait, Finland yet has its aerial guitar crown back. Local lad Aapo ‘The Angus’ Rautio, 25, struck each nan correct invisible chords precocious successful Oulu, Finland to go nan caller Air Guitar World Champion.

Rautio has been pretending to play guitar since childhood, competing for nan first clip astatine property 10, and won nan title connected his seventh attempt. This time, he didn’t conscionable play nan aerial guitar; he owned it.

What’s it each about?

If you’re wondering really you judge thing that doesn’t really exist, here’s really it works: contestants person 60 seconds to thrash retired a solo of their choice, past different to a enigma way chosen by nan organisers. Real guitars are strictly forbidden, but costumes, chaotic moves, and plentifulness of stone prima cognition are encouraged!

The judges people connected originality, shape presence, method flair, and a mysterious value known arsenic ‘Airness’ basically, nan expertise to look for illustration you’ve been possessed by nan tone of Hendrix without ever rubbing a string.

For nan adjacent 3 days nan metropolis of Oulu hosts nan Air Guitar World Championships, wherever contestants from astir nan world strut their worldly shamelessly connected shape pinch their invisible instruments – each to beforehand world peace:https://t.co/tri8mFekmK pic.twitter.com/BqadwNy4ua

— Discovering Finland (@DiscoverFinland) August 20, 2025

The competition

Rautio hit a beardown lineup including reigning champ Zachary ‘Ichabod Fame’ Knowles of Canada (fans of nan tales of Sleepy Hollow will bask this!) and Japan’s Yuta ‘Sudo-chan’ Sudo, who took 2nd place. France’s Apolline ‘Lady Attila’ Andreys placed third, while Belgium’s Lèon ‘Leonfire’ Ostrowsky won nan crowd’s hearts.

A superior connection down nan silliness

The title has been moving successful Oulu since 1996 and has grown into a world show of fun. The victor walks distant pinch a existent guitar, a civilization ‘Flying Finn’ crafted by section luthier Matti Nevalainen.

Organisers for illustration to punctual group that nan arena is astir much than conscionable silly fun. According to nan charismatic ideology: if nan full world played aerial guitar, ‘wars would end, ambiance alteration would stop, and each bad things would vanish.’

Not a bad consequence for a title wherever nan only strings attached are imaginary.

Air guitar is really bully for you

Believe it aliases not, aerial guitar isn’t conscionable fun, it tin besides beryllium bully for your assemblage and mind. A study published successful Music and Medicine recovered that ‘air guitar sessions impact beingness activation and tin beryllium conducted successful groups, facilitating non-verbal socialisation. This suggests that moreover without existent instruments, mimicking guitar movements tin supply beingness activity and beforehand societal interaction.’

So, adjacent clip you consciousness nan impulse to stone retired without a guitar, spell ahead, your assemblage and mind mightiness convey you!

Read much Finnish news and articles here