Gregory Porter, Kamasi Washington, Seun Kuti, and Buena Vista All Stars Presents: One Night In Havana are among the headline acts just announced to perform at this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, which takes place over the October bank holiday weekend (Thursday 24th October to Monday 28th October 2024).
And that only scratches the surface of what’s in store for this year’s festival, the largest and most exciting to date! Confirmed for the festivities are a whole host of other fantastic acts, including West Africa’s most iconic dance band Orchestra Baobab, musical duo Amadou and Mariam from Mali who will debut their new single Mogolu, and hip harpist Alina Bzhezhinska’s tribute to Alice Coltrane, featuring the legendary Gil Scott-Heron collaborator Brian Jackson.
Also taking to the stage will be new jazz trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, the female-powered Les Amazones D’Afrique, the uplifting soul music of the Staples Jr. Singers, and the beloved Mary Coughlan, one of Ireland’s greatest jazz and blues artists celebrating her 40th year of music making. Tom Keating will present Jenny Greene & Special Guests, and Mack Fleetwood at Cork City Hall.
Add to that a swing set with Luke Thomas and Una Healy, along with master classes, podcasts, and music classes from jazz students at Cork School of Music, and you can see how this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is set to delight all music lovers!
Commenting on the 2024 programme, Festival Director Mark Murphy said: “This line-up will resonate worldwide and put us on par with the greatest jazz festivals internationally. Gregory Porter sold out 2 shows at the Cork Opera House pre-Christmas and is the biggest voice of jazz internationally. Kamasi Washington is an American jazz superstar, and the high-end Afro-Cuban jazz of the Buena Vista All Stars is as good as it gets for a spectacle. And we have more to announce!”
Rory Sheridan, Head of Partnerships for Diageo, said: “Our aim is to be the best jazz festival in the world, and we’ve had huge success over the past two years. We expect the Festival will once again attract jazz enthusiasts and festival fans from far and near, especially given the fantastic line-up.”
The renowned five-day event has attracted top-tier artists and devoted fans for over 46 years. Steadily growing in stature over that time, the festival is known for combining electrifying performances from jazz legends with statement sets from contemporary standard-bearers and trendsetters pushing the boundaries of the genre. The festival’s unprecedented access to such an eclectic mix of artists has made it the largest music-centered city celebration in Ireland.
The hugely successful 2023 Guinness Cork Jazz Festival smashed all records attracting over 100,000 visitors to Cork City and, with over 500 musicians, 100 events and over 80 venues, this year promises to be bigger and better.
This year will see its biggest programme yet with more ticketed shows than ever before, including the music trail through the city, and a stellar line-up of Irish and international musicians, both veteran and emerging talent.
Festival goers can expect a diverse range of musical styles which far surpass dusty definitions of “jazz,” including swing, bebop, fusion, and traditional jazz, but also featuring carefully curated examples of the influence the genre has stamped on the realms of hip-hop, R&B, and dance music.
One of the best-loved aspects of the festival is its accessibility. In addition to the headline shows at premiere venues like the Cork Opera House, Live At St. Luke’s, the Everyman, and the Triskel Arts Centre, there are countless surrounding pop-up performances, late night parties, boat trips, spontaneous collaborations, and even brass bands marching through the city streets, making this one of Ireland’s most popular festivals.
