The Aalborg International Guitar Competition's Category I is open to classical guitarists from all countries who are university or conservatoire students or professional players, aged 35 or under when the competition starts.
The event is the first category of the festival and runs as a series of rounds: a preliminary round with a free programme of up to 12 minutes, a semi-final of 18 to 20 minutes, and a final of 20 to 25 minutes. Each round must include music from at least two different historical periods, and pieces cannot be repeated from the preliminary round in the semi-final, though they may be repeated in the final.
