Which musician set his guitar on fire during the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival?

Jimi Hendrix set his guitar on fire during the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. His dramatic performance became one of the defining images of the landmark California music event.

Hendrix performed with the Jimi Hendrix Experience on the festival’s final night, June 18, 1967. Near the end of his set, he placed a guitar on the stage, poured lighter fluid over it, and ignited it before smashing it and leaving the stage.

The moment was not simply a spontaneous accident: Hendrix had used guitar-burning as a theatrical element before, including during a performance in England. At Monterey, however, the act was captured by cameras and reached a huge audience through later film and recordings.

The festival also helped introduce Hendrix to many American listeners after his success in Britain. His performance, along with appearances by Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, and The Who, made Monterey a foundational event in rock history.