Cork Jazz kicks off with surprise performance from Macy Gray at Coughlans Bar

Ahead of her sold out show at the Cork Opera House on Thursday night, the star treated fans to a secret intimate gig at Coughlans Bar

Thu, 26 Oct, 2023 - 09:18

Maeve Lee

This year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is already off to a flying start, with a surprise performance from American singer Macy Gray kicking things off on Wednesday night.

Ahead of her sold-out show at the Cork Opera House on Thursday evening, the star treated fans to a secret intimate gig at Coughlans Bar in Cork city.

The Grammy Award winner performed tracks from her new album The Reset as well as older favourites.

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Macy Gray is one of the many talents — both international and Irish — that are set to perform across the city and further afield for the annual jazz festival. Officially kicking off on Thursday, Cork will host five days of music and entertainment.

As the festival celebrates its 45th year, this year's event promises to be the biggest and best yet with an extended programme of over 100 ticketed shows and 500 musicians from 40 countries.

The Guinness Music Trail promises to deliver something for everyone with everything from ska to swing and jazz to brass as the trail leads you to more than 73 venues across Cork City, Douglas and Kinsale. As well as that, there will be plenty of pop-up events, collaborations, late-night parties and a brass band marching through the city.