First jazz festival acts announced
A ripple of excitement has been felt across Cork city with the announcement of the first round of acts for the 2025 Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.
As always, festival goers can look forward to a long, long weekend of legends, contemporary innovators, and emerging Irish talent from 23-27 October.
Funk icons Cymande, soul-pop legend JP Cooper, African dance outfit Orchestra Baobab, and American hip-hop group The Pharcyde lead the first wave of acts announced this year.
Cymande, whose infectious blend of funk, soul, reggae, and Afrobeat helped influence much of the modern music landscape, will make a rare live appearance by visiting Cork for the first time this year. The group, who formed in the ‘70s, will be celebrating their first album in ten years, ‘Renascence’.
British singer-songwriter JP Cooper, known for his soulful vocals and crossover hits, will add a rich, contemporary flavour to the weekend. He plays The Everyman on 25 October.
Legendary Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab will take to the Cork Opera House stage on 26 October with their signature blend of West African and Afro Cuban brass arrangements, soulful harmonies and rhythmic intensity that has defined their legacy over the last 50 years.
A festival highlight will be The Pharcyde, marking 30 years since their 1995 hit album ‘Labcabincalifornia’. The influential LA hip-hop group will revisit their jazz-soaked second album, produced in part by the late J Dilla, in a celebratory set blending nostalgia, innovation, and golden-era lyricism.
From there, the lineup moves boldly across genres. Jeff Mills presents Tomorrow Comes the Harvest, an exploration of techno-meets-jazz improvisation while Ross From Friends brings his ‘Bubble Love’ set, blending lo-fi electronics and soulful textures.
They’ll be joined by Norway’s Dublon who are haild as the next big thing in the jazz house wave.
“The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is more than an event — it’s a legacy and a culture,” said Festival Director Mark Murphy.
“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!”
Beyond the ticketed shows at top venues like Cork Opera House, Live At St Luke’s, The Kino, The Everyman, Cyprus Avenue, and Triskel Arts Centre, the city will once again come alive with the Guinness Music Trail, a free programme of live music across nearly 80 pubs and venues throughout the city and beyond.
The festival also spills into the streets with surprise pop-up gigs, and brass bands bringing the rhythm directly to the people with The Big Fringe.