Over 100,000 fans to descend on Cork for Jazz Festival

Over 100,000 music fans are set to descend on Cork city for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival this weekend.

This year, the festival will feature over 500 musicians from across Ireland and the world, performing across 100 events in 80 venues.

Now in its 48th year, the five-day festival is the biggest on Cork's cultural calendar and runs from Thursday to Bank Holiday Monday, 26 October

The event is expected to bring in almost €45 million to the city's economy.

A popular headline act this year is Luke Thomas and the Swing Cats, who are set to play two shows at the Everyman Theatre on Saturday 24 October.

Mr Thomas, who described his band’s musical style as "Vintage Pop", said returning to the festival "means everything" to him.

He said: "This is the forty-eighth year of Cork Jazz Festival and in that time, it’s become so diverse in the artists that come here to play.

"It's the magic of walking down any of the streets in Cork and maybe discovering a new act or a new sound.

"Your new favourite act could be playing around the corner in any of the pubs around.

"So it's really special."

He added that "if you do come here, you are going to discover your new favourite act.

"I guarantee it."

Another mainstay of the festival, TBL8 Brass, first played at the jazz festival in 2019.

Martin Farrelly, who plays trombone with TBL8, said the festival is easily the band’s "favourite weekend of the year".

"We'll be popping up different places at different stages across the weekend whether that be in different venues or just on the street," he said, adding "that really is the jazz buzz".

"It's probably my favourite weekend of the year. It's also our busiest weekend of the year," he said.

Mr Farrelly said he thinks "the whole city really just goes for it".

"No matter where you walk in - from a pub to a takeaway - you’ll hear jazz music," he said.

"There's stuff on all the time," he added.

Mr Farelly said: "It's really mixed.

"I know it's the jazz, but it's sort of under the umbrella of jazz.

"You get hip hop, you get African music, soul music, bebop.

"You get loads of different things here.

"There's something for everyone."

The festival was first established in 1978 by Jim Mountjoy in the Metropole Hotel.

Festival Chairperson Fiona Collins said that while Cork Jazz Festival is all about the music, it means so much to local businesses across Co Cork.

"There's a huge spend over the weekend. It's estimated to be around 40 million, which we love," she said.

She added: "And to just bring so many visitors into the city, we get to showcase Cork over the weekend.

"And they get to come and experience a great city."

Cork Airport is also expecting 58,000 passengers this October Bank Holiday weekend, tens of thousands of which are made up of festival-goers who will landon Leeside for the Cork Jazz Festival.

And with live jazz performances taking place across their terminals over the weekend, Cork Airport Managing Director Niall MacCarthy said the festival remains at the top of their artistic agenda.

He said this weekend "is one of the highlights of the year for us all here at the airport".

Mr MacCarthy said: "It’s an event that brings so much to our city and county, with some of the world’s most talented jazz performers, the craic around the city streets and a great boost to the local economy.

"And of course, our passengers will get to sample the jazz as soon as they touch down at Cork Airport over the coming days."

In addition to ticketed shows, the free Guinness music trail will also offer some events in 70 venues across the city.