Boom time as jazz fest drowns out economic blues

THE recession blues were banished in Cork at the weekend, when over 50,000 revellers attended the Guinness Jazz Festival, worth in the region of €6 million to the city.

Ticket sales for this year’s festival were up 35% on last year. Over 1,000 musicians from some 29 countries are playing at over 80 venues around the city in the event, which is now ranked as being in the top three jazz festivals in Europe.

Michael Whelan, chief executive, Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, said that since its inception more than 30 years ago, the people of Cork have warmly welcomed in excess of one million visitors to the event.