Cork Jazz Fest: First acts announced for the super popular October Bank Holiday festival
The New Brass Kings performing on the Guinness Jazz bus during the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. Picture: Naoise Culhane
The first acts for this year's Guinness Cork Jazz Festival have been announced, offering jazz lovers everything from contemporary innovators to emerging Irish talent.
The Cork Jazz Festival will once again bring a swing to the city from Thursday, October 23 to Monday, October 27, and tickets go on sale this Friday.
The line-up of acts announced this week includes Cymande, whose infectious blend of funk, soul, reggae and Afrobeat helped influence much of the modern music landscape, JP Cooper, known for his soulful vocals and crossover hits, and the legendary Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab with their signature blend of West African and Afro Cuban brass arrangements and soulful harmonies.
A festival highlight will be The Pharcyde, marking 30 years of . The influential LA hip-hop group will revisit their jazz-soaked second album, produced in part by the late J Dilla.
Other acts include:
Jeff Mills presents Tomorrow Comes the Harvest, an exploration of techno-meets-jazz improvisation
Ross From Friends, who brings his Bubble Love set, blending lo-fi electronics and soulful textures
The Adrian Younge Orchestra
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
The Congos
Khakikid
Le Boom
Vieux Farka Touré
James Holden & Wacław Zimpel
Nigerian-Irish vocalist Tolü Makay.
The celebration of Ireland’s finest new music continues at this year’s festival, with TBL8 Brass, Projective, Syano, Smithereens, Lavery, CamrinWatsin, Wexford-raised rapper Maverick Sabre, and community favourite Mo Cultivation & Friends. Tom Keating will also host a number of shows at Cork City Hall.
Speaking about the announcement of acts at this year’s Cork Jazz Festival, festival director Mark Murphy said: “The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is more than an event — it’s a legacy and a culture. We’re thrilled to bring another great line-up to Cork this October. And with even more exciting announcements still to come, we can’t wait to share what’s in store.”
Head of partnerships for Diageo, Rory Sheridan, added: “Guinness has proudly supported the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival for decades, and we’re delighted to continue this partnership in 2025.
"This iconic festival brings people together through incredible music, culture, and community spirit — values that are at the heart of Guinness. We look forward to another unforgettable October weekend in Cork.”
More headline acts will be revealed in the coming weeks and tickets will go on sale on August 15 at guinnesscorkjazz.com.
