Watch: Former MEGADETH Guitarist KIKO LOUREIRO Holds 'Guitar Experience' Camp In Helsinki

Former MEGADETH and ANGRA guitarist Kiko Loureiro held an immersive guitar camp, "Kiko Loureiro Guitar Experience", on June 1-2 at Katajanokka Hotel in the heart of Helsinki, Finland. The cultural event was tailored for dedicated and passionate guitar enthusiasts and provided a one-of-a-kind opportunity to transform their playing style.

Earlier this week, the Brazilian-born Kiko, who lives in Finland, took to his social media to write: "This past weekend was a blast at the first Kiko Loureiro Guitar Experience in Helsinki! We had over 20 hours of intense guitar playing and discussed everything guitar: technique, practice routines, improvisation, composition, creativity, theory, and more. The highlights for me were the jam sessions with everyone on both days and accepting the challenge to create a song on the spot.

"This guitar community we are building with the KLGA is amazing, and it was great to meet so many talented guitar players face-to-face. We had participants from over 13 countries, including the USA, Japan, India, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Switzerland, France, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria, and more, ranging in age from 11 to over 50. Everyone was eager to learn, engage, help, support, and dedicate their lives to music and the guitar.

"Thank you so much to everyone who came and to all the staff. A special thanks to @olaenglund and @adairdaufembach for sharing their amazing talent with us. We look forward to having even more next year! #klgxp2024".

Video and photos from this year's "Kiko Loureiro Guitar Experience" can be found below.

In November, Kiko announced his decision to "extend" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, explaining that he didn't want to "hinder any of the band's plans or the hard work of all the incredible people involved in the tour."

Kiko revealed in September that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.

One day after Kiko's announcement that he was "extending" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, band leader Dave Mustaine released a statement in which he said that he loves Loureiro and respects and fully supports Kiko's decision. He described Kiko as "a top-notch professional, a maestro" and thanked the guitarist "for his dedication and hard work these past nine years, helping us to achieve a Grammy on 'Dystopia' and the additional awards we have received on this latest record 'The Sick... The Dying...And The Dead'." Mustaine added: "I could not have done this without Kiko Loureiro."

MEGADETH played its first concert with Kiko's replacement, Teemu Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The 37-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.