01 Mar Gibson Garage London – The Ultimate Guitar Experience – Celebrates One-Year Anniversary
Last week, Gibson, the iconic and leading global instrument brand, proudly celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Gibson Garage London–the first Gibson flagship store outside of the U.S.
Opened in February 2024, the Gibson Garage London is a cultural destination and has become a vibrant addition to London’s music scene. Since opening, over 200,000 people have visited, all with full access to explore and play-in and play over 300 guitars. The immersive experience has drawn musicians, collectors, and fans alike, becoming an exciting destination for music lovers, and a thriving hub for live music and a leading venue supporting London’s grassroots music.
At the Gibson Garage London, there have been over 70 events on its state-of-the-art live stage, with performances from talented grassroots musicians to well established names including Sir Brian May, Phil Manzanera, Mark King, James Bay, Tom Walker, Jared James Nichols, Emily Wolfe, and Toby Lee. Fans have also had the opportunity to get closer to the music with artist meet-and-greets.
The Gibson Garage London partnered with Busk In London, a program supporting grassroots and emerging artists in their music careers through development opportunities, with notable names who came through the Busk in London talent pipeline including Olivia Dean, Sam Tompkins and Cat Burns. Committing to supporting grassroots music, the Gibson Garage is now an official Busk in London venue, offering exciting young artists across the city the invaluable opportunity to play, hone their performance skills and reach new audiences with bi-weekly gigs.
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries says, “The Gibson Garage has been an exciting addition to Oxford Street and to London’s world-class music scene. In the past year, this flagship store has welcomed more than 200,000 visitors, held over 70 live performances and, crucially, provided a platform to emerging artists as a ‘Busk in London’ venue. Grassroots venues are the lifeblood of London’s music scene and I look forward to seeing the Gibson Garage provide further support to up-and-coming artists, as we continue to create a better London for everyone.”
“Happy first birthday to the Gibson Garage! It’s been an incredible year establishing an exciting Busk in London emerging artist circuit in this super cool space,” adds Rachel Meir, CEO of Found in Music, and Kate Jones, Programme Director of Busk in London. “What’s not to love for an emerging artist, getting to pick a Gibson or Epiphone guitar and to play in this intimate cutting edge venue where many a rock n roll legend has played?”
To celebrate the one-year milestone of the opening, Gibson hosted the Gibson Garage Fest London –a week of special in-store events and exclusive product launches. On Tuesday 18th February, Queen legend Sir Brian May launched his Gibson SJ-200 12-string acoustic guitar with a special interview and surprise performance. On Friday 21st February, lines formed outside the Garage as early as 5am as eager fans, traveling as far as Germany, lined up to buy one of 20 Gibson ’84 Les Paul Standard with Bigsby guitars – hand-signed by music icon Johnny Marr. The 20 guitars quickly sold out, with proceeds going to the Teenage Cancer Trust. An exclusive, TCT x Gibson line of merchandise is also currently available at the Gibson Garage London until stocks last.
Emerging artists Campbell King, Jasper Hodges, Rachel Croft, The Wild Things, Seb Lowe, Lloren and Ben Ellis all performed at the Gibson Garage London for an all-day acoustic festival on Saturday 22nd, and on Monday 24th, punk-rock outfit Kid Kapichi played at the launch of the Merc x Gibson Capsule Collection–a new fashion collaboration with Gibson and the British apparel brand Merc Clothing. Phil Manzanera, Mark King, Gary Husband and others played a packed “Jam For Jack” event celebrating the life and music of late Cream bassist Jack Bruce. Throughout the week the public has been able to get up close to a rare and exclusive display of Jack’s beloved Cherry Red EB-1 Violin Bass, at the Gibson Garage London – on display now until 20th March.
Opened one year ago by rock royalty Jimmy Page, Sir Brian May, and Tony Iommi, the Gibson Garage London has seen hundreds of thousands of visitors immerse themselves with the instruments, sound, apparel, and art – including two completely free photography exhibitions at the Gibson Gallery, from legendary photographers Gered Mankowitz and Sharon Latham. Also inside the Garage, innovation has kept the music moving—literally. The showroom’s unique floating conveyor belts of Gibson guitars have travelled the equivalent of seven times around the M25 Motorway.
“Opening the Gibson Garage in London has put the guitar scene firmly on the map as a destination for visitors from all over the world. We routinely have customers make this their first stop when arriving in London,” says Etaoin Fagan, General Manager, at the Gibson Garage London. “An exciting store and experience for people of all ages, alongside Busk In London we’ve been proud to give grassroots musicians a platform to play, while providing a cultural hub for live music and all things Gibson.”
