Get ready for a weekend of free music, lively crowds and electric energy on the streets of Cork City, as the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival returns this October Bank Holiday Weekend celebrating its 46th year in 2025. What began as a small event back in 1978 has grown into one of Europe’s leading jazz festivals, now worth an estimated €45 million to the city’s economy each year.
The party kicks off this Friday, and while the weather looks mixed with a few stray showers on Friday and more rain expected Sunday afternoon there’ll be plenty of opportunities to roam around, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the unbeatable buzz that takes over Cork City every October. Grab your raincoat, lace up your walking shoes and make the most of it!
This year, Cork’s streets will once again come alive with The Big Street Entertainment programme, a celebration of free jazz for everyone to enjoy. Expect spontaneous performances, impromptu jam sessions and marching brass bands popping up across the city all weekend long.
A big highlight to start things off is the Oliver Plunkett Street Stroll on Friday, October 24th, from 6.30pm. Wander from Grand Parade down the iconic Oliver Plunkett Street, onto Maylor Street and Caroline Street, as some of the best brass and marching bands from Ireland and abroad fill the evening air with music.
For a real taste of Cork’s festive spirit, Beat on the Street will bring happy, high-energy jazz right into the heart of the city from Friday through Sunday. Keep your ears open for the sounds of the New York Brass Band, Hyde Park Brass Band, Lamarotte, Code of Behaviour, TBL8 Brass Band, Rebel Brass Band and the Brass Kings performing at pop-up locations all weekend.
The Super Dome Jazz Stage at Emmet Place (Opera House Plaza) will host live outdoor performances all Saturday and Sunday afternoon, while the new Jazz Market on St. Patrick’s Street (11am–7pm both days) will showcase local food and crafts alongside live tunes.
Music lovers can also drop into the Rory Gallagher Music Library during the week for the “Live at the Library” series, featuring events such as An Introduction to the Jazz Orchestra and Women in Jazz with vocalist Ivy Favier and guitarist Simone Cooke.
Back by popular demand, the Big Jazz Bus returns to cruise the city streets from Friday to Sunday bringing a rolling wave of live jazz to shoppers and passers-by. On Sunday morning, don’t miss the soulful Jazz Gospel Service at St. Anne’s Church in Shandon (10:45am), followed later by A Touch of Blarney at Daunt’s Square (3:30pm), featuring Cork’s own Blarney Brass & Reed Band.
Then at 5pm, the Jazz Jamboree takes over Opera House Plaza for a huge farewell jam session , an unmissable jam session for all the visiting European bands.
While the street entertainment is enough to draw you into the city , the great pubs, cafes and restaurants are reason enough to linger, check out the new-look Clancys or the Chateau, why not treat yourself to arguably Cork’s best sandwich at the Long Valley? Soak up the atmosphere on Princes Street, while enjoying a pizza from Rossini, check out the English Market or ramble over to the Marina market, stopping off on the way at the fabulous Fitzgeralds Bar in the Imperial Hotel.
Of course, the entertainment is not just limited to the streets, the festival’s original home – the Metropole Hotel will host live music all weekend, while the River Lee Hotel brings “Jazz by the Riverside” on Bank Holiday Monday. In fact most venues in the city and suburbs will have entertainment on tap all weekend. And if you fancy a drive, the Guinness Kinsale Jazz Festival runs alongside the main city events, with over 100 free performances across the town’s pubs and venues.
Fiona Collins, Chairperson of the Cork Jazz Festival Committee, believes this year will be bigger and better than ever. She commented, “The street entertainment is a real highlight for festival-goers. The energy and enthusiasm of acts like Hyde Park Brass and our local Rebel Brass always bring Cork to life. It’s a celebration for everyone, locals and visitors alike.”
So, come on into town, wander the streets, follow the sound of the saxophones and soak up one of the biggest weekends on Cork’s calendar. The music’s free, the vibes are unbeatable and the whole city’s your stage.
The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival runs from Friday October 23rd to Monday 27th. For the full programme, visit guinnesscorkjazz.com or follow @guinnesscorkjazz
