Which festival featured Jimi Hendrix’s famous guitar-burning performance in 1967?

The Monterey Pop Festival featured Jimi Hendrix’s famous guitar-burning performance in 1967.

Hendrix played on the festival’s closing night, June 18, 1967. Near the end of his set, he poured lighter fluid over his Fender Stratocaster, set it alight, and smashed it onstage. The dramatic moment became one of the defining images of the 1960s rock era.

The festival was held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in California and ran from June 16 to June 18. It showcased major performers from rock, soul, folk, and Indian music, including Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, The Who, and Ravi Shankar.

Hendrix’s appearance was especially significant because it introduced him to a large American audience after his success in Britain. The guitar-burning stunt was theatrical, but his musicianship was the performance’s central reason for its lasting impact.