Cork is Ireland's Ireland's second largest city. It is located on the south coast of the country at the mouth of the River Lee. It was mainly a trading city for centuries and has been always considered a sporting city with Gaelic football and Hurling, soccer, racing and yachting being among the predominant sports. But it is as a city of music that the city has gained notoriety over the past thirty years.
One of the biggest jazz music events in the world is held here city every year. It is always held on the long Bank holiday weekend at the end of October which gives three days and nights of official events but the music and festivities usually continue for most of the week. Last year almost 50,000 people attended to hear almost one thousand musicians of about thirty nationalities performing.
The festival is now in its 34th year and since its inception in 1978 more and more of the world's best jazz musicians have been coming there. Some of the greats who performed at Cork were Cleo Laine, Ella Fitzgerald and Dave Bubeck. Also George Shearing, Buddy Rich, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea and Stephan Grapelli have made appearances. These are just a few of the famous jazz musicians who have played here. This is a testament to the status of the Cork Jazz Festival on the world stage.
There are over 80 venues throughout the city including concert halls, theatres, lounges, bars and hotels as well as on street music. The biggest venues are The Everyman Palace Theatre, The Cork Opera house, The Half Moon Theatre, The Granary, The Firkin Crane Theatre and The Metropole Hotel. These are the venues where the main events are held but many people prefer the smaller more intimate venues where the very interesting fringe events take place.
Jazz was very popular in the middle of the twentieth century in America and Europe but was overtaken by Rock and Roll in the Fifties and Pop an Rock in the Sixties and Seventies. However there was always a loyal band of followers and interest has grown again. Rock and pop festivals are the big crowd pullers nowadays but Cork is able to compete with these on the Jazz front and remains one of the biggest music festivals in Ireland.
Cork is known as a city which hosts many festivals during the year but none are as big or as well-known as the Jazz Festival. It is estimated that the festival generates up to 50 million Euros worth of business in the city with hotels, restaurants, pubs and shops all benefiting form the huge influx of visitors.
Cork is looking forward to another exciting Jazz Festival in 2012 which is on the last weekend of October. Despite the Irish and worldwide economic difficulties, the numbers of visitors is expected to match 2011 at least and festival goers are advised to book accommodation early to avoid disappointment.
One of the biggest jazz music events in the world is held here city every year. It is always held on the long Bank holiday weekend at the end of October which gives three days and nights of official events but the music and festivities usually continue for most of the week. Last year almost 50,000 people attended to hear almost one thousand musicians of about thirty nationalities performing.
The festival is now in its 34th year and since its inception in 1978 more and more of the world's best jazz musicians have been coming there. Some of the greats who performed at Cork were Cleo Laine, Ella Fitzgerald and Dave Bubeck. Also George Shearing, Buddy Rich, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea and Stephan Grapelli have made appearances. These are just a few of the famous jazz musicians who have played here. This is a testament to the status of the Cork Jazz Festival on the world stage.
There are over 80 venues throughout the city including concert halls, theatres, lounges, bars and hotels as well as on street music. The biggest venues are The Everyman Palace Theatre, The Cork Opera house, The Half Moon Theatre, The Granary, The Firkin Crane Theatre and The Metropole Hotel. These are the venues where the main events are held but many people prefer the smaller more intimate venues where the very interesting fringe events take place.
Jazz was very popular in the middle of the twentieth century in America and Europe but was overtaken by Rock and Roll in the Fifties and Pop an Rock in the Sixties and Seventies. However there was always a loyal band of followers and interest has grown again. Rock and pop festivals are the big crowd pullers nowadays but Cork is able to compete with these on the Jazz front and remains one of the biggest music festivals in Ireland.
Cork is known as a city which hosts many festivals during the year but none are as big or as well-known as the Jazz Festival. It is estimated that the festival generates up to 50 million Euros worth of business in the city with hotels, restaurants, pubs and shops all benefiting form the huge influx of visitors.
Cork is looking forward to another exciting Jazz Festival in 2012 which is on the last weekend of October. Despite the Irish and worldwide economic difficulties, the numbers of visitors is expected to match 2011 at least and festival goers are advised to book accommodation early to avoid disappointment.
