Best of the West: The Inaugural Arizona State Acoustic Guitar Championships Brings Beautiful Music To “The Best Polo Event In The World.”
The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships will add a new sound to this year’s festivities with the debut of the Best of the West: The Inaugural Arizona State Acoustic Guitar Championships, taking place Saturday, November 7, 2026, at WestWorld of Scottsdale.
Calling aLL GUITARISTS
Acoustic guitarists everywhere are invited to apply for the opportunity to be one of 20 competitors selected to perform live in the field-side Sanderson Lincoln Black Label Lounge. Open to all ticket holders, the competition will give Polo Party guests the chance to experience exceptional live music alongside the day’s polo, fashion, automobiles, and entertainment.
The Best of the West celebrates the artistry and creativity of solo acoustic fingerstyle guitar. Selected musicians will advance through three live rounds before a professional jury and public audience, performing their own arrangements of familiar music as well as original compositions and competing for $3,000 in total cash prizes and the title of Best of the West Acoustic Guitar Champion. The first-place finisher will also be featured at a performance at Phoenix’s Musical Instrument Museum.
Your time to shine
The inaugural championship will be directed by Martha Masters, Arizona State University guitar faculty and President of the Guitar Foundation of America.
“This is an opportunity to showcase extraordinary guitar playing in a completely unexpected setting,” said Masters. “We want to give talented acoustic guitarists a platform to reach new audiences while giving Polo Party guests the chance to discover just how exciting one guitarist and one acoustic instrument can be.”
The competition is open to guitarists of all ages and from anywhere, with no application fee. Applications are due October 15, 2026, with 20 competitors selected for the live championship on November 7.
Musicians interested in competing can find complete rules and the application by clicking the registration button below.