Guinness Cork Jazz Festival Unveils Second Wave of World-Class Acts for 2025

Cork's premier music celebration has announced an impressive second roster of international and Irish talent, with tickets for the newly revealed acts going on sale this Friday morning.

The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival has lifted the curtain on another stellar line-up of performers joining this year's 47th edition, taking place across the October Bank Holiday weekend from 23 to 27 October. The latest announcement confirms the festival's evolution far beyond traditional jazz, embracing funk, soul, hip-hop, and electronic innovation.

Leading the second wave is American soul legend Lee Fields & The Expressions, making his first Irish appearance in five years. The veteran performer, whose career spans back to 1969, brings his James Brown and Otis Redding-influenced sound to Cork's stages.

British jazz sensation Nubya Garcia joins the billing as one of the UK's most prominent new wave jazz artists. The saxophonist, composer and bandleader represents the cutting edge of contemporary jazz innovation.

Local interest centres on Jape's exclusive tribute performance "Rituals", celebrating Richie Egan's early groundbreaking work, whilst rising star Summer Pearl promises to captivate audiences with her soulful performances.

The international flavour continues with Swiss-European collaboration Vallon-Michel-Rossy, featuring pianist Colin Vallon alongside trumpet player Matthieu Michel and drummer Jorge Rossy. Meanwhile, Elina Duni & Rob Luft Quartet present "A Time To Remember", connecting musical traditions from across the globe.

Mark Murphy, Festival Director, said:

"Guinness Cork Jazz is Ireland's largest jazz festival and a cultural institution. Every year, Cork becomes the beating heart of jazz, but the festival has grown into so much more, a celebration of musical innovation and cultural energy."

The festival's impressive scale encompasses over 500 musicians performing across 100 events in nearly 80 venues throughout the city and extending to Douglas and Kinsale. The programme includes both ticketed headline shows and the popular free Guinness Music Trail.

Already confirmed headliners include British funk collective Cymande, soulful vocalist JP Cooper, Senegalese legends Orchestra Baobab, techno pioneer Jeff Mills, and legendary hip-hop group The Pharcyde celebrating their album Labcabincalifornia's 30th anniversary.

Cork audiences can also look forward to the return of favourites Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and Le Boom, alongside breakthrough Irish talent including God Knows, Zaska, Winnie Ama, and Toshín.

The festival's reputation continues to grow, attracting more than 100,000 attendees in recent years and establishing itself as Ireland's premier jazz event and the country's largest city-based music festival.

Tickets for the newly announced acts go on sale this Friday, 5 September at 10am through guinnesscorkjazz.com. Festival organisers promise additional surprises in the coming weeks.