The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival returns this October Bank Holiday weekend (23–27 October 2025), bringing a wide range of music to Cork City across five days of ticketed shows, free performances, and community events. Now in its 47th year, the festival continues to bring together a wide spectrum of music — from swing, improvisation, and contemporary jazz, to soul, funk, hip-hop, and global traditions.
For those planning their October Bank Holiday weekend, Jazz Ireland will be listing a wide selection of concerts from the festival in our events calendar, so we encourage you to explore the programme there when planning your October Bank Holiday weekend.
Thursday, October 23 – Opening Night
At the Triskel Arts Centre:
- Chip Wickham – the UK flautist and saxophonist known for his deep spiritual jazz sound opens the festival with a night of groove, melody, and improvisation. More info →
Friday, October 24 - Opening Weekend
At the Triskel Arts Centre, two intimate concerts set the tone for the weekend:
- Stella Performs Ella – Irish vocalist Stella Bass pays tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, honouring the swing and sophistication of the First Lady of Song.
Elsewhere in the city:
- Cymande – funk and soul pioneers whose grooves are steeped in jazz rhythm.
- Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Chicago’s genre-crossing brass family, mixing jazz, funk, and hip-hop.
Saturday, October 25 - Improvisation and Innovation
Saturday at Triskel highlights two projects at the edge of contemporary jazz:
- Mås Exödus – an adventurous Irish jazz project from Festival Director Mark Murphy and guitarist Max Zaska, blending groove and energy.
- James Holden & Wacław Zimpel – avant-garde clarinet meets electronic soundscapes.
- Music Network Presents the Daniel Herskedal Trio – the Norwegian tuba virtuoso brings his trio to Cork, showcasing lyrical, atmospheric jazz with remarkable depth.
Across Cork on Saturday:
- Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Chicago’s genre-crossing brass family, mixing jazz, funk, and hip-hop.
- The Pharcyde – revisiting their jazz-infused Labcabincalifornia on its 30th anniversary.
Sunday, October 26 - Festival Highlights
A standout day for jazz lovers at Triskel:
- Norma Winstone & Glauco Venier – Distances and Beyond
One of Europe’s great jazz voices in a duo setting, with Winstone’s poetic vocals meeting Venier’s spacious piano. - Elina Duni & Rob Luft Quartet – A Time To Remember
A quartet that blends jazz with folk traditions from across Europe, led by vocalist Elina Duni and guitarist Rob Luft. - Vallon–Michel–Rossy Trio – pianist Colin Vallon with Matthieu Michel (trumpet) and Jorge Rossy (drums) exploring interplay and improvisation.
Across the city:
- Adrian Younge Orchestra – cinematic soul with jazz at its core.
- Nubya Garcia – one of the defining voices of the UK jazz renaissance, bringing her powerful saxophone and band to Cork.
- Jeff Mills: Tomorrow Comes the Harvest – techno and jazz improvisation meeting in an exploratory performance.
- Orchestra Baobab – Senegalese legends whose Afro-Cuban and West African sounds carry deep jazz connections.
Green Room Jazz - Cork Opera House
The Green Room at Cork Opera House hosts late-night and intimate performances across the festival weekend, showcasing adventurous projects and new Irish jazz voices:
- Laoise Leahy with the Johnny Taylor Trio – Breathe In & Let Go EP Launch (Sat 25 Oct, 9 pm)
- Estratos – drummer Diego Joaquin Ramirez leads a trio blending jazz, ambient and Latin/North American sounds (Sat 25 Oct, 11 pm)
- Next Experiment – an international ensemble co-led by Leopoldo Osio with Cork trombonist Paul Dunlea (Sun 26 Oct, 9 pm)
- FIXITY – Dan Walsh’s boundary-pushing project centred on spontaneity and ensemble interplay (late night, Sun 26 & Mon 27 Oct)
These Green Room concerts offer audiences an intimate and exploratory side of the Cork Jazz Festival, perfectly complementing the larger mainstage events.
Beyond the ticketed concerts at venues such as Cork Opera House, The Everyman, Triskel, and Cyprus Avenue, the Guinness Music Trail will once again bring free live music into nearly 80 pubs and venues across the city and beyond. Brass bands, pop-up gigs, and the Big Fringe turn the streets into stages, ensuring that the festival buzz is felt everywhere from Douglas to Kinsale.
A Festival with Many Paths
The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival continues to connect the many ways jazz resonates today — from classic standards and contemporary improvisation, to global voices and boundary-crossing collaborations.
Whether you’re drawn to the intimacy of Triskel, the late-night explorations of the Green Room, or the energy of larger venues, there is something for everyone at this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.
Festival Details
Dates: Thursday 23rd – Monday 27th October 2025
Tickets & Full Programme: guinnesscorkjazz.com
Follow @guinnesscorkjazz on Instagram and Facebook for updates.