Guinness Cork Jazz festival is swinging in the rain

The 2026 Guinness Cork Jazz Festival 2026 is in full swing, with locals and visitors enjoying one of the biggest weekends on the Cork cultural calendar.

The population of Cork will virtually double as 100,000 jazz revellers flock to the city for Ireland’s oldest single-site music festival, which is now worth almost €1m per hour to the greater Cork economy during its five-day run.

Ireland’s largest city-based music festival is now in its 48th edition, and over the five days, from Thursday through Bank Holiday Monday, the festival will feature more than 500 musicians across 100 events, performing in almost 80 venues.

Cork Airport is expecting 58,000 passengers this weekend, with the busiest day of the bank holiday weekend for arriving passengers today.

The opening event last evening featured a performance by trumpeter, neo-soul singer, and rapper Diamond, and speaking at the gig, the Lord Mayor of Cork, councillor Damian Boylan, said the festival is an important part of what makes Cork a festival city.

“The festival celebrates Cork’s creativity, our hospitality, our love of music and festivals, and our ability to bring people together,” he said.

“What began at the Metropole Hotel has grown into Ireland’s largest city-based music festival and a festival of international standing, bringing visitors from Ireland and around the world to our city.

“It is a major contributor to Cork’s economy, supporting businesses and jobs across the city.” The festival coincides with the welcome reopening of the Oyster Tavern at the English Market, in good news for the city’s hospitality sector.

Many headline shows are already sold out, among them Annie Mac, Boney M, Berlioz, and Kokoroko.

Tickets still remain for Jaz Karis and Jessica Doolan at Live at St Luke’s, Riversphere at the Triskel, Luke Thomas and the Swingcats at The Everyman, and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble at Cork Opera House.

See guinnesscorkjazz.com.