Social media guitar star to perform at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds
Photo credit: Simon Fowler
Acclaimed fingerstyle guitarist, Mike Dawes, will launch his UK tour with a headline performance at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds this September.
Born in Guildford, England, Dawes has become internationally known for creating the sound of an entire band on a single acoustic guitar — combining melody, bass lines, percussion, harmonics, tapping and alternate tunings simultaneously.
He rose to prominence during the YouTube boom of the early 2010s, when virtuoso instrumental videos were especially popular. As Instagram, Facebook and later TikTok grew, short clips of his acoustic arrangements proved ideal for those platforms, alongside his professional music tutorials and behind-the-scenes explanations.
His version of Gotye's ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ became a viral sensation with tens of millions of views, and he has since gone on to create inventive covers of songs like Van Halen's ‘Jump’, Foo Fighters' ‘Everlong’ and Metallica’s ‘One’.
Today, with hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, he continues to entertain his online audience through performances which are visually impressive, easy to appreciate without musical training and often leave viewers wondering, "How is one person making all those sounds?"
But more than that…
Social media gave him global visibility, but his reputation among musicians comes from his skill and live performances.
He has also enjoyed mainstream chart success, produced film and TV session work, and provided guitar education.
Beyond his solo career, Dawes has played with GRAMMY winner Tommy Emmanuel and regularly collaborates with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues, featuring on live albums including ‘Spirits...Live’, which debuted at No.2 on the US Billboard Chart. His soundtrack credits include ‘Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’ and ‘Better Call Saul’, and he is a widely respected columnist for Guitar World and Acoustic Guitar magazines, and a former judge on Sky TV's Guitar Star.
He was twice voted ‘Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World’ by Total Guitar Magazine and MusicRadar reader polls (in 2017 and 2018).
Now he embarking on ‘The Progressive Acoustic Tour’ - a series of intimate theatre and concert hall shows where he'll perform his signature solo acoustic arrangements alongside original compositions. Audiences can expect demonstrations of techniques like tapping, harmonics and percussive playing, stories about how pieces were written and arranged, and Dawes’ own relaxed, humorous stage presence - plus a little audience interaction.
Mike Dawes is at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds on 10 September 2026.
FOR SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE