7 October 2026
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Cork’s emerging artists and Ireland’s next generation of musicians take their place alongside international names at the 2026 Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.
Cork has long been a city that makes musicians feel at home. This October, it will once again become a meeting point for some of Ireland’s most exciting emerging artists, established Irish talent and internationally renowned musicians as the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival returns from 22–26 October.
While the festival has welcomed some of the biggest names in global music for almost five decades, its enduring connection to supporting the Irish music scene is just as important, says festival programme Eoin Cregan.
The 2026 programme puts that connection front and centre, with Muireann Bradley, 49th & Main, Yankari Afrobeat Collective (Tribute to Fela Kuti), Maya Libbey, Solène Laurence, Toshín, Sei Green, Luke Thomas & The Swing Cats, Tyra-Lee Spry, Ezra Williams, Caolan Ryan, Zaska, TBL8 Brass, Winnie Ama, Mirrors, Aisling, Stevie G & more to be announced.
The festival is also committed to supporting the next generation of Cork-connected artists, giving them the opportunity to step onto a festival platform while remaining connected to the city and its music community.
Maya Libbey, Solène Laurence and Tyra-Lee Spry are among the artists bringing new voices and perspectives to this year’s programme.
Their music reflects the breadth of the contemporary Cork scene, moving across soul, R&B, pop, folk and other influences, while sitting naturally within a festival programme that stretches from jazz and blues to electronic music, hip-hop and Afrobeat.
Tyra-Lee Spry has become part of Cork’s emerging music community, developing her career through the city’s live music and student music scenes. Solène Laurence, from Douglas, is establishing herself as a singer-songwriter, while Maya Libbey, now based in Cork, brings a sound influenced by soul, R&B, pop and classical music.
Ezra Williams offers another example of an artist with a strong Cork connection whose career has reached well beyond the city. The Cork-based, Wicklow-born artist has built a significant international audience, with music reaching millions of listeners and appearing in international screen culture.
Eoin Cregan said, “Guinness Cork Jazz Festival has spent almost five decades bringing world-class musicians to Cork, but it has also provided a platform for generations of Irish artists at different stages of their careers. We’re incredibly proud of the Irish and Cork talent in this year’s programme and are excited to see where these artists go next.”
This year, artists from all over the country will arrive in Cork.
Headliner Annie Mac will perform a late-night set at Cork Opera House. Muireann Bradley, whose extraordinary guitar playing and country-blues sound have made her one of the most talked-about young musicians in Ireland, returns to the festival. 49th & Main bring their distinctive blend of electronic, indie and pop influences to Cyprus Avenue, and Caolan Ryan joins them.
TBL8 Brass and Winnie Ama add further contemporary Irish voices to the programme, while Luke Thomas & The Swing Cats bring their popular celebration of swing to audiences once again.
Alongside the Irish artists, the festival will welcome major international acts including Berlioz, Yussef Dayes, Masters At Work, Boney M featuring Maizie Williams, KOKOROKO, Courtney Pine, Jason Moran, Keyon Harrold, Marcus Strickland, Margaret Glaspy, Joe-Armon Jones, Σtella and St. Paul & The Broken Bones.
Stevie G says, “For artists coming through Cork’s scene, the opportunity isn’t only to perform. It is to encounter musicians, audiences, promoters and ideas from around the world, all within the city over one extraordinary weekend.”
The festival’s role in supporting artists goes beyond the headline stages. Across Cork’s venues, pubs and streets, emerging musicians perform alongside established names, reaching audiences who may be discovering them for the first time.
The Guinness Music Trail, spanning 74 pubs and venues, creates hundreds of opportunities for musicians to perform across the city, while the Big Fringe brings music into public spaces and unexpected corners of Cork.
Guinness Cork Jazz Festival 2026 takes place from 22–26 October.
Tickets are now on sale at guinnesscorkjazzfestival.com, with further artists still to be announced.
For more, follow @guinnesscorkjazz and #GuinnessCorkJazz. The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is supported by Diageo, Fáilte Ireland, Cork City Council and Cork Airport.
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