Long hair, Jack Daniels and tight jeans will the order of the day in Oulu, northern Finland as Jimi Hendrix and Slash wannabes gather for the qualifying rounds of the World Air Guitar Championships.
Performers will pretend to play rock or heavy-metal electric guitar solos without an instrument, and their skills then assessed by a jury with the winners going forward to the final on Friday.
Among the contestants is two-time world champion Ochi Yosuke of Japan, who triumphed in 2006 and 2007.
A special ceremony to promote world peace will take place ahead of the final and competitors and spectators will join in a parade and listen to a declaration of peace.
Organisers said that "according to the ideology of the Air Guitar, wars end, climate change stops and all bad things disappear, if all the people in the world played the Air Guitar".
The event, staged for the 13th time, has attracted competitors from more than 20 countries, including Australia.
In addition to promoting peace, the event is also touted as environmentally friendly since students at Oulu University have designed tread machines that power car batteries used for the sound and lighting equipment.
The typical air guitarist is a male aged 30 to 40.