Courtney Pine and Muireann Bradley among top acts for Cork jazz festival

Ground-breaking saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Courtney Pine and Irish country-blues and folk singer Muireann Bradley are among the first acts to be announced to play the 2026 Guinness Cork Jazz festival.

One of Britain’s most enduring and influential jazz musicians, Pine will bring his powerful ‘Out of the Ghetto: A Modern Day Jazz Story’ to the internationally renowned festival.

Other big names on the programme include Berlioz, a London-based project of Ted Jasper blends jazz, soul, house, and funk; drummer Yussef Dayes who is known for a mix of jazz, broken beat, and soul, and KOKOROKO whose futuristic music is a fusion of Afrobeat and jazz.

Saturday brings Boney M featuring Maizie Williams, whose tour celebrates five decades of music including disco and pop anthems, while Kenny Dope and Louie Vega of MAW — Masters At Work will perform in Cork together for the first time.

Festival programmer Eoin Cregan said: “The Guinness Cork Jazz festival is more than an event, it’s a legacy and a culture.

More announcements to come

“The Guinness team and our jazz festival committee are thrilled to bring another great line-up to Cork this October. And there’s even more exciting announcements still to come.”

Irish acts set to grace the stages of the festival include Muireann Bradley, whose 2023 debut album I Kept These Old Blues entered the top 10 of the UK albums download chart following her performance on BBC TV’s Jools’ Annual Hootenanny show, and Annie Mac, one of Ireland’s most internationally recognised DJs, broadcasters, and tastemakers, who will be supported by Tara Kumar.

Local and emerging talent features strongly throughout the festival, with Caolan Ryan, Tyra-Lee Spry, TBL8 Brass, Aisling, Winnie Ama, Solène Laurence, and Maya Libbey among the artists appearing across the city.

Other highlights include a solo piano show from Jason Moran; ‘The Music of John Coltrane and Miles Davis’ performed by Keyon Harrold and Marcus Strickland, and Luke Thomas and The Swing Cats’ Kings of Swing show.

City Hall Series

The Cork City Hall Series adds another strand to the festival, with performances from The Boomtown Rats, The Stunning, Rory Gallagher: The Legend Lives On, Mack Fleetwood, and Mundy.

The Guinness Music Trail will once again stretch across over 70 pubs and venues throughout Cork and beyond, while the Big Fringe brings brass bands, pop-ups, and unexpected performances onto the streets.

Gavin Ó Broin of sponsor Diageo said: “Guinness Cork Jazz festival is a hugely special part of the cultural calendar.

“Year after year, it brings people together from Cork, Ireland, and around the world to experience an incredible mix of music, culture, and community. We’re looking forward to another memorable weekend in Cork.”

• Tickets go on sale tomorrow at https://guinnesscorkjazz.com.