International Choral Festival
April/May
The five days leading up to the first Monday in May see one of Europe’s leading choral events take place in Cork. The City Hall plays host to most of the performances and competitions, while churches around the city lay on a number of fringe events.
Cork Midsummer Festival
June
Midsummer’s Day marks the beginning of this all-encompassing arts festival that draws leading international names and local Irish talent to Cork. Over the course of 10 days venues spring up anywhere from the roof of the City Hall to factory floors for interesting performances and events.
Guinness Cork Jazz Festival
October
Tens of thousands of jazz followers descend on Cork each year to enjoy the biggest jazz festival Ireland has to offer. Running since 1978, the event has seen names such as Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie perform down the years. Over 1,000 musicians from around the world are welcomed over the course of four days.
Cork Folk Festival
October
This lively festival embraces traditional music for four days every October, offering concerts, talks, workshops, impromptu sessions and special events for the kids.
Film Festival
October/November
This film festival has been running since 1956 and sees film lovers gather in Cork for a week long celebration of Irish cinema, which features everything from documentaries to feature films.