My Oulu: Air guitar veteran Aapo Rautio finally brings the World Championship back to Oulu
Aapo "The Angus" Rautio is the air guitar world champion of 2025. Photo: Marko Pyhähuhta
Jaa sosiaalisessa mediassa:
Aapo Rautio from Oulu participated in the Air Guitar World Championships for the first time when he was only 10 years old. Since then, he has been among the top contenders for many years. This year, he finally became World Champion.
Oulu and Finland have hosted the Air Guitar World Championships since 1996, but we cannot be accused of playing favourites. Aapo ”The Angus” Rautio is the first Finnish world champion in 25 years.
”Finally”, said many of Rautio’s competitors, happy for the Oulu native, who was in the finals for the fifth time this year.
”Playing air guitar and the competition are a big part of this, but the most important thing is our international air guitar community and the love that we share. It’s just magical. We’re a big family”, says Rautio.
Aapo Rautio has participated in the world championships seven times and has been in the finals five times. Photo: Pasi Rytinki
Rautio first participated in the World Championships at the age of 10 in 2010, under the stage name Little Angus, and placed sixth. Rautio remembers seeing an advertisement for the competition somewhere. Since there was no age limit for participation, young Aapo started asking his father, musician Timo “Rautsi” Rautio, if he could join.
When his father was sure that his son really wanted to participate in the competition in a bar environment among adults, 10-year-old “Little Angus” showed up to the Black Horses qualifiers and played AC/DC’s Whole Lotta Rosie.
”At AC/DC’s gigs the audience always starts shouting Angus (Young)’s name during that song, and the people at 45 Special bar started shouting it right away. So this is what it feels like to be a rock star, absolutely crazy!” Rautio recalls with a laugh.
Rautio says that the warm and welcoming community is what brings people year after year back to Oulu, ”Mecca of air guitar”.
”This year I met a few people for the first time, and it already feels like I’ve known them for several years and they’re part of my family. They’re all incredibly wonderful people. I think air guitar attracts people who are outgoing and open to this kind of intense community.”
Aapo Rautio on stage during this year's final. Photo: Roosa-Maria Kauppila / Oulun juhlaviikot
This year, Rautio made his way to the finals through Thursday’s Dark Horse qualifiers. In a record-breaking final, he defeated Japanese champion Yuta “Sudo-chan” Sudo only after a tiebreaker, or “air-off,” which was decided by an additional performance. The air-off, decided by the guitar solo in Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine, gave Rautio an overtime victory by just one tenth of a point over the Japanese player.
Third place went to France’s Apolline Andreys, aka Lady Attila. Last year’s world champion, Zachary “Ichabod Fame” Knowles from Canada, came in fifth. The audience voted Belgium’s Lèon “Leonfire” Ostrowsky as their favourite.
The Air Guitar World Championships are organised by Oulu-based Airnest Productions Oy and the event is part of the annual Oulu Festival. Next year, the event will be part of the official Oulu2026 programme as Oulu is the European Capital of Culture.
”I hope someone takes the title from me. There are so many amazing people involved, all of whom I hope can win. But I’m not going to make it easy!” Rautio says.