OULU, Finland — The city of Oulu is buzzing with energy as the world’s best air guitarists gather to showcase their imaginary riffs and electrifying stage presence at the 28th Air Guitar World Championships. For three days, competitors from 13 countries have performed before enthusiastic crowds, all leading up to the grand finale on Friday evening in Oulu’s central square.

Each contestant performs two 60-second routines across two rounds, judged on passion, originality, stage presence, technical skill, and what organizers call “Airness.” While costumes and props are welcome, actual instruments and backup bands are strictly banned, forcing players to rely on charisma and creativity alone.

This year’s finale will see reigning champion Zachary “Ichabod Fame” Knowles of Canada defend his title against eight national champions and seven qualifiers. Among the challengers are U.S. champion Saladin “Six String Sal” Thomas and German champion Patrick “Van Airhoven” Culek, all vying for the coveted “Flying Finn” guitar, crafted by Finnish luthier Matti Nevalainen.

Since its debut in 1996, the event has carried a playful ideology: that global peace, unity, and even an end to climate change could be achieved if everyone picked up an air guitar. Contestants, whether wielding an acoustic or electric “air instrument,” are scored between 4.0 and 6.0 by a panel of performing arts professionals. The combined scores of both rounds determine the winner, making every second of performance crucial.