Festivals
There’s always something to celebrate in Cork – and if there isn’t, Corkonians will celebrate anyway.
Almost 100 festivals, fairs, shows, parades and rallies take place across the county every year. You’ll find local harvest festivals, agricultural shows, story-telling festivals and traditional music galas, and that’s before finding time for the city’s long-running and internationally acclaimed jazz, film, and choral festivals.
The Cork Jazz Festival is one of the largest jazz festivals in the world and brings an estimated 40,000 visitors to the city each October. Some 1,000 musicians from 30 countries play in venues all over the greater city area during the four-day event.
The Cork International Film Festival has been bringing the best in world cinema to Cork since 1956. The festival is an ideal opportunity for film buffs to see new international films and experimental movies not normally on general release.
For sheer good fun – not to mention lots of fresh air and exercise – it’s hard to beat the annual Ocean to City race. This is an exciting and good-humoured 15-mile rowing race from Crosshaven to Cork city. It takes place on the June Bank Holiday weekend, so if that coincides with your visit, get your entry in now … or at least go along to cheer on the rowers as they pass the finishing line.
And if you still have some energy left after all that rowing and cheering, the Cork City Marathon will take place on June 2nd this year. The organisers have set out an exciting and varied route that takes in many of Cork’s most attractive and best-known landmarks – but don’t worry, St Patrick’s Hill is not included!
Cork Midsummer Festival is one of the fastest-growing arts festivals in Ireland. Held over ten days in June, the city streets, parks and venues rock with music, dance, theatre, circuses and picnics to celebrate the summer solstice.
A relative newcomer to the Cork festival scene is the unique East Cork Early Music Festival, held in and around Midleton in September. The festival aims to promote and encourage the performance and appreciation of music composed before 1750 – played, where possible, on instruments appropriate to the era.
