XV Years
Guitar Retreat · Island of Ven · Sweden

The Guitar Retreat
is Turning 15

Est. 2012  ·  Annual Gathering  ·  July 2026

Three days of music, community and unforgettable moments on a magical Swedish island — for players of all levels who dare to leave the mainland behind.

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What Is the Retreat?

More Than Guitar Lessons.
A Community.

Since 2012, players from all walks of life have been gathering on the Island of Ven in southern Sweden for the three days on my Guitar Retreat that feel unlike anything else in a musician's year. I teach through songs — real songs with grooves and stories — not only licks in isolation, although we do work with those at times, when participants ask for it.

With over 85% of participants returning year after year, the Retreat has become something rare: a genuine community. People come for the guitar, but they keep coming back for each other.

All skill levels are welcome. Whether you played seriously in your youth and are returning after a long hiatus, or you've always wanted to explore the blues and other acoustic styles (including slide guitar) — you belong here.

Aerial view of the Island of Ven, Sweden
2012
First retreat
85%
Return year after year
100+
Video lessons included
2026
The 15th year
2026 Dates

Choose Your Week

July 2026

17–19

Friday to Sunday

Weekend session — ideal if you can't take time off midweek

2 slots remaining
or
FULL

July 2026

20–22

Monday to Wednesday

Weekday session — a quieter island, a more relaxed pace

Prices and full programme details available on application. Express your interest with no commitment →

Est. 2012

More Than a Vacation — Less Than a Guitar Course

Relax & Learn!

It started with a small group on a Swedish island. The idea was simple: gather guitar players, teach through real songs, and see what happens. What happened was people didn't want to leave.

"When you want to find your way back to your guitar — but not stand on stage."
— Tommie Magnusson, Participant 2021
A Letter from Peter Dahlgren · 2022

"Your fine pedagogy as well as a particular generosity of spirit solidified my decision. You are always encouraging, emphasizing the positive, while always being clear about how to go about playing whatever music is at hand."

"My take-aways are usually not whole songs, but ideas, concepts, riffs that I can apply to my own tunes — and that help me connect the dots musically. Plus I also take home a renewed sense of the possible. Inspiration."

"The small scale of the operation, and by extension the ease of bonding with others, was also very attractive — not least I met a group of fellow players there, and our Friday sessions have become an important part of my life."

"Over my long life I have started — and given up — learning guitar several times. I'm pretty certain that had we not met, I wouldn't still be at it. Not that the world would suffer much from my not playing, but I sure would: it's just such an amazing pleasure; it would have been a real loss."

— Peter Dahlgren, Guitar Retreat 2022
🎸
What the Retreat Creates

A Friday Jam That Refuses to Stop

Two participants who came to the Retreat together had already been meeting on Fridays to play guitar together. During a Retreat, they mentioned their weekly sessions to a fellow participant Arne, who had just moved to that area and didn't know anybody he could maybe play with. They invited him to join, and he did.

The year after, a participant named Peter joined. Then Håkan. Then, through a later retreat, a participant Gert found his way into the group. Most recently, a participant Olle joined after moving back to the area.

They now have what they call a "hiring freeze" — when everyone shows up at once, there's barely room to fit all the guitars in.

The group has been meeting every Friday for over 10 years. They play by the same principles I teach at the Retreat: keep the volume considerate, encourage each other to play solid backup or a solo, choose songs that work for everyone.

A community that Retreat inspired, and there are no signs anybody's quitting anytime soon.

The Experience

What Happens on Ven

🎸

Song-Based Tuition

I teach through complete songs and real grooves. Every lick has a context. Every lesson builds something you can take home and actually play.

🎵

Jam Sessions

Evening jams where the music never stops. Porch playing, group sessions, spontaneous collaborations. What happens between lessons is half the retreat.

🏝️

Life on Ven Island

Backafallsbyn — a beautiful venue in an extraordinary setting. Leave the mainland and most of your worries behind. Three days that reset something important.

📹

Lifetime Video Library

Every participant gets permanent access to the Retreat Video Portal — over 100 detailed instructional videos, lyrics sheets and sometimes backing tracks baked into the videos to keep the progress alive at your home.

🩺

Ergonomics & Posture

I'm a trained physiotherapist who gives hands-on guidance on posture, warm-up routines and body mechanics — protecting your playing for years to come.

🤝

All Levels Welcome

Three chords or thirty years behind you — it doesn't matter. I adapt to everyone. The group spans complete beginners to experienced players, and it works beautifully.

Life on Ven

Moments from Past Retreats

Fifteen years of music, community and memories on this island.

The full retreat group playing in a circle
Aerial view of the Island of Ven
Evening jam session on the porch
The retreat group walking on Ven island
Group dinner at the retreat
Many hands with guitar slides on the fretboard
Evening jam — singing with eyes closed
Two players practicing together
Tommy concentrated on his Sandén guitar
Backafallsbyn — the retreat venue
The bungalow accommodation at Backafallsbyn
Guitar and kazoo — because why not
Individual Practice

Your Own Space Within the Group

The retreat room is designed with dedicated practice spots along the windows. Facing outward gives you natural acoustic separation from the rest of the group — ideal for working through a tricky passage on your own, or making the most of a break while others grab a coffee. Individual focus, collective energy.

Individual practice spaces by the windows
From a Participant
"The retreat was a prime summer experience for me. Interesting people, a very well prepared programme that fit me like a glove, and a credible leadership made it a real hit!"
— Tommy Falonius, Guitar Retreat Participant
Read All Testimonials
What Happens Between Retreats

The Community Keeps Playing

The summer Retreat at the Island of Ven ends after three days — but something it starts doesn't...

❝

A few of us who gather each year for the retreat on Ven agree on one thing: waiting an entire year in between is simply too long.

So, three of us from Gothenburg and three from Karlstad have started arranging mini-retreats — usually sometime in the autumn, and ideally once in the spring too. The format is much like Ven (just without Mac, of course). We arrive on Friday, cook together, share a few beers, and play for as long as we can keep going.

Besides these get-togethers, we Gothenburg folks have also formed a trio that meets every week to play whatever we feel like. We don't have a rehearsal room; instead, we take turns hosting at each other's homes.

Needless to say, all guitars are acoustic. Mac is really the spark behind all of this, and Ven will always be our number one. Still, these little initiatives make the wait a bit easier.

— Nisse Mällroth, Guitar Retreat Participant · Gothenburg, Sweden
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