Venues of note in Cork city, and beyond
Some venues you'll love for live music.
has been ploughing ahead with their plans for expansion into a fully-fledged complex of venues and stages on the corner of Oliver Plunkett Street and Caroline Street - the main room expanded pre-Covid into a 500+ standing venue, while smaller shows continue at , the back bar of the downstairs. Meanwhile, a new venue, , has opened on the complex’s roof, with upcoming gigs to include the hip-hop offering of this year’s MusicCork showcase; and Tuesday night jazz sessions have taken root at the café…
on Douglas Street has opened a second stage at the venue’s beer garden, and has been making the most of the situation, with gigs and comedy continuing to happen in the venue’s intimate main room… The Good Room crew continues to run regularly at , including a good chunk of the upcoming Cork Folk Festival… The continues to function as the music cornerstone of the McCabes’ Cork Heritage Pubs chain, booking a mix of original and covers bands and continuing to run its trademark midnight shows. The venue is also home to the annual Cork Ska and Reggae Festival…
and promote bigger-name gigs regularly, more often than not veteran or legacy artists, as well as being involved in the city’s genre festivals, including the upcoming Cork Jazz Weekend, happening over the October Bank Holiday… Long-standing rock/metal bar will probably outlive everyone reading - and writing. Check the venue’s Instagram for gig updates… The latest iteration of on Washington Street has played host to a mix of events, including for Cork Midsummer Festival, and the upcoming Relapse 2.0 punk all-dayer…
is a longstanding institution for trad in the city, but its upstairs venue is a regular spot for gigs in the city too - including Girlfriend and Dankenstoned Bongster tonight, and Aussie noise duo Chimers and Cork ‘death-punks’ Horse tomorrow night… Coburg Street’s venue is another trad spot venturing into rock/alternative gigs on the last Friday of the month, including Elaine Malone tomorrow week… Down the street from the Corner House, hostel is a regular spot for DJs, including JusMe and guests’ regular Friday-night slot… , at the former Larry Tompkins’ pub on Lavitt’s Quay, has emerged as an unlikely but much-needed smaller room for DJs, including the Electronic Music Council, and gigs, including the monthly Vexed Promotions engagement…
The Coal Quay has the potential to be a great spot, between intimate gigs at and community events at the outdoor venue, which has recently hosted gigs from the DOSE group and Stevie G’s This is the New School project… was a real centre of new music pre-Covid, and this parish hopes the 80-cap room can find regular gig promoters again… on Upper John Street has played host to some very intimate gigs and poetry performances since restrictions lifted, with more to come…
The has been quiet in recent years in terms of new and local music - this parish hopes the success of Pretty Happy’s ‘Write Record Perform’ residency, documentary and gig changes that… Non-pub spaces like on Sullivan’s Quay and at the Marina have played host to gigs in recent times - the former being the long-running centre of the Irish language in the city, and the latter as a community bookshop and gathering space… , meanwhile, has played host to various gigs and events since its Covid-era opening, with musician and artist Zelen Tshabangu, aka Unkle Zelen, among those involved…
, and remain essential to the wider county’s music scene as regular touring stops for artists in the county’s West… in, eh, Mallow, and in Glounthaune have both played host to outdoor events of various stripes. The Good Room has also run Covid-era gigs at the , and has a family music day slated for in Mayfield this Saturday afternoon…
