Jazz festival to ring up profits for Cork

Cork is in line for a €20m windfall on the forthcoming bank holiday weekend — thanks to the Guinness sponsored Cork Jazz festival.

That was the pledge last night as the line-up for this year’s event was disclosed by Bill Johnson, chairman of the organising committee.

“We have record enquiries from visitors who want to come to Cork for the festival,” he told The Evening Echo.

The spend would be by guests in hotels, guest houses, bars, restaurants and shops, he said.

Already tickets were in big demand.

With a star-studded programme specially designed to celebrate Cork 2005 in style, the city will pay host during the weekend to more than 1,000 musicians from 32 countries, in what has become one of Europe’s most successful arts and culture festivals.

Rory Sheridan, jazz manager of Guinness said the event was shaping up to break all attendance records. “We have been inundated with enquiries from all over Europe and accommodation in the city is booking up very quickly“.

They were delighted to again be the sponsors of an event which would have such a positive economic impact on the city.

Tony Sheehan, programme director Cork 2005, said they were delighted to be involved in this year’s festival as a major sponsor.

Brendan Galvin, manager of the Everyman Palace Theatre said festival ticket sales at his venue were running well ahead of ‘04. ” We are getting lots of bookings for the Acker Bilk/Kenny Ball concert and there is heavy demand for the Ron Carter and Joshua Redman concerts”

Tickets are now on sale at Cork Opera House, Everyman Palace Theatre (for the Everyman and the Guinness Festival Club), Triskel Arts Centre and the Firkin Crane Centre.