Has NAMM 2021 been cancelled? Yes, but we have all the new gear that matters

GEAR 2021: Usually around this time of year, we're on the ground reporting from the winter NAMM Show, which takes place annually at the Anaheim Convention Center, California, in the middle of January. As in so many ways, though, this year is different.

NAMM 2021: All the big gear news in one place

The sad news is that, like so many events, NAMM 2021 won’t be happening, an inevitable consequence of the ongoing global pandemic. 

But fear not, the big guitar, tech and drum releases are still happening and you can find them all in our NAMM 2021 news hub. 

And although the show won’t be going on, there are a couple of other things to look forward to.

The first is NAMM’s Believe in Music Week, a digital event that promises “a robust marketplace, cutting-edge education, entertainment and live music, and a platform to power our industry’s recovery and support those in need.” As well as being a networking event that will connect buyers and sellers, there will also be Believe in Music TV, which promises “programming to educate and inspire”.

Of course, this won’t quite be the NAMM Show that we all know and love, but there may well be a product launch or two, as some of the biggest names in the industry - the likes of Gibson, Korg, Roland and Yamaha - have signed on to showcase their latest gear. Whatever happens, we’ll be around to tell you about it.

Beyond Believe in Music, MusicRadar is also celebrating the new year with our very own Gear Expo, an online event that takes place on 29 and 30 January. This will gather together all the new products that will inevitably be launched as we crash land into what we’re told will be the sunlit uplands of 2021.

We’ll be bringing you more details after the holiday season. Until then, stay alert, stay safe and stay inside making music.