A guitar retreat in New Orleans - 4th to 11th October 2025

THIS PAGE IS BEING EDITED AND WILL BE COMPLETE BY 25th of April 

 

The Guitar Social in New Orleans at a Glance 

X New Orleans themed guitar workshops

X nights of live music 

One house party with facilitated guitar jams 

Visits to X

Up to 12 other guitar players to hang out with 

All food enjoyed in the house

A PDF and video package supporting all workshop content 

Hello traveller, let’s pack for New Orleans, shall we?

There's no where else on earth like New Orleans. Where many cities claim to support live music, New Orleans is live music. Without live music, it would simply be heart rendering architecture forming a town by a river full of people who are joy themselves; which actually, wouldn't be a bad deal, would it? 

Itinerary and workshops 

This can change based on any local knowledge we pick up on the ground and your
suggestions. All items listed are optional, you can take part in as much or as little as you like.

Day 1 - Saturday 4th of October 

Arrival and settling in

4:00 pm Arrive at your accommodation. Drop your bags in your room, re-emerge and say hello to your new jam buddies

5:00 pm Workshop #1 Songs from the South

7.30 pm Dinner somewhere local

9:00 pm After a long flight, a return to home for some jams, shared songs and an early night

Day 2 - Sunday 5th of September 

9:00 am Breakfast out, location TBC

11:30 am Second Line! A marching parade through New Orleans put on by American American Social Aid and Pleasure groups. These are brass bands, dressed in cool hats and smart, colourful suits, half marching and half dancing. Behind them, the second line, which in this case is, us, also half marching, half dancing, or just doing the latter. 

The second line can sometimes contain hundreds and even thousands of people. 

Stops are made for food and drinks, making this a great way to see the City while having a total blast. 

5:00 pm Dinner

7:00 pm Workshops and jams back at the house 

9:00 pm Hot 8 at The Howlin' Wolf. The famous brass band, in the back room of a bar, playing loud with just enough space at the front for you to dance

Day 3 Monday 6th of October

9:00 am Workshop #2 In development

10:00 am  Workshop #3 In development

11:00 am Workshop #4 in development 

1:00 pm Lafayette Cemetery, the most New Orleans Cemetery of them all

2:00 pm Ride in a street car up St Charles Avenue to take in incredible architecture while experiencing a unique and charming mode of transport. 

4:00 pm Food at Cooter Browns at The River Bend

7: 00 pm Live music at The Maple Lead Bar 

Day 4 Tuesday 7th of October

9:00 Breakfast 

9:00 am Workshop #2 In development

10:00 am  Workshop #3 In development

11:00 am Workshop #4 in development 

1:30 pm Walking tour of the French Quarter provided by Friends of the Cabildo. We will be spending quite a lot of time in the French Quarter, so it makes sense to get the history in early. 

3:00 pm Lunch at Johnny's Po Boys 

5:00 pm Bourbon Street. The most famous street in New Orleans so a must see. Full of strip clubs, frozen margaritas, blues bars and neon. We will walk the entire length. Then take refuge on the more gentle Frenchman Street

7:00 pm Live music 

Day 5 Wednesday 8th of September 

9:00 am Breakfast 

9:00 am Workshop #2 In development

10:00 am Workshop #2 In development

11:00 am  Workshop #2 In development

2:00 pm The Alligator Tour. 

6:00 pm Music at The Spotted Cat, Frenchman Street 

Day 6 Thursday 9th of September 

 

Day 7 Thursday 9th of September 

Friday 10th of September 

 

 

 

2.30 pm The Meat Packing district- not just for fans of Sex and the City, where the series was filmed, but for people who enjoy vintage shopping, book stores, beautiful eating spots and coffee shops

4:00 pm A walk on Chelsea high line, a raised Garden walk built on old train tracks, offering a moment of calm in the heart of the City 

6:00 pm Food on the famous Bleeker Street and or Mulberry Street

8:00 pm Live Music in Greenwich Village 

Day 3 15th of October 

Punk, Brooklyn, Coney Island and Tacos

9:00 am Breakfast (Waffles)

9:00 am  Workshop #4 New York Punk, served with Waffles 

10:00 am Workshop #5 Folk from Greenwich Village 

11:00 am Workshop #6  New York Indie from the early noughties 

1:00 pm A walking tour exploring key Punk locations including  Iggy Pop and Jim Jarsmuch hangouts and venues like CBGB's and Trash as well as a visit to the street that hosts Americas most stolen street sign. 

2:00 pm Walk across Brooklyn Bridge 

15:00 pm Brooklyn hang, with a stop at Nathans Famous Original Stand for Hot Dogs (the home of the hot dog eating contest) and a walk down Brooklyn heights Promenade to take in a stunning view of Manhattan

7:00 pm Jam back at the house. It's a New York house party! Expect some Punk tunes

Day 4 16th of October 

Harlem, Central Park, Upper Manhattan and New York Jazz

9:00 am Breakfast 

9:00 am Workshop #7 Jazz workshop-content to be decided after consulting with attendees 

10:00 am Workshop #8 Technical studies, content to be established after consulting with attendees

11:00 am Workshop #9 Defining the New York Sound

1:00 pm Harlem: Exploring  key music locations amongst the brownstones, wide pavements and lively atmosphere

2:00 pm Lunch at Red Rooster- iconic New York comfort food

3:30 pm An afternoon in Central Park

6:00 pm Cocktails in and around upper Manhattan 

7:00 pm An evening of Jazz, culminating in Smalls Jazz Bar

Day 5 17th of October 

Grand views and fond farewells 

8:00 am Breakfast 

8:00 am Workshop #10 Review of the weeks songs, jams, discussions and ideas

10:00 am Checkout 

11:00 am Bag drop 

12 am a trip up the Empire State building, the perfect way to finish the week, looking back on the City we explored and fell in love with.

How the accommodation works

We only ever take the finest accommodation we can find. This involves big spaces in 
end houses and apartments. Rooms are shared and room shares are allocated
empathetically based on age, interests and gender. It is worth mentioning, the time spent in your room is likely to be very little.

Room Prices
Double bed £1242
Single bed £1142
Your own room £2000

 Flights 

If flying from London, the suggested flight for this trip is flight BA179 from Heathrow at 10am on the 13th of September, arriving at JFK 12.45. 

Getting to the accommodation

When the trip is confirmed, you’ll be provided with an address. Your job is to get to the
address, once there, your trip with The Guitar Social begins.
You may also join a whatsapp group where you can organise to share an airport transfer.