Cork to get jazzed up!

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Renowned saxophonist Jean Toussaint and festival band, The Roaring Forties at the launch of this years Guinness Cork Jazz Festival on Lapps Quay, Cork. Photo: Michael MacSweeney / Provision

Cork city is gearing up for a bumper Bank Holiday weekend as the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival begins in earnest today. Thousands of festival revelers are expected to descend on Leeside filling up hotels, guesthouses and B and Bs and taking in the various musical attractions that the festival has to offer.

There will be over 1,000 musicians from 22 countries taking to various stages and will feature over 400 performances in more than 50 venues throughout Cork.

Opening the festival tonight at the Cork Opera House will be Taraf De Haidouks, one of the world's most famous exponents of gypsy music. Over at the Triskel Christchurch, a double bill of Natali Williams and Susanna will kick things off at that venue. The line up this year includes legendary musicians like Jean Toussain, Gregory Porter, Roy Hargrove Quintet and the likes of De La Soul and Beach House. As well as the headline acts, there is also the Guinness Music Trail that will feature in over 50 venues across the city serving up a variety of musical styles.

There will also be plenty of other events including 'The Big Jazz Fringe', which is a week long series of  fringe events aimed at extending the festival experience for both locals and visitors alike and some of these events include the jazz food fair which takes place on Patrick Street and Emmett Place with plenty of food and live music to add to the atmosphere. Other fringe events include 'Live at the Library', 'Beat on the Street', a Jazz gospel service and the Cork jazz camp.

To tie in with the Gathering 2013 event, the Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be in Cork today to meet with organisers and participating musicians of the Cork Jazz Festival to push this tourism initiative for next year.

"The Taoiseach will be in Cork to meet with some of the Cork Jazz Festival event organisers, who will be making a big push for The Gathering next year. The Jazz Festival is undoubtedly one of the biggest festival around and the economic benefits it has on Cork and the surrounding Regions has long been recognised," said Dara  Murphy, Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central.

Bus Éireann is providing late night services from the city centre to Carrigaline, Ballincollig and Midleton on Friday 26 October, Saturday 27 October and Sunday 28 October with services departing at 1am, 2am and 3am. Single journey fares will be €3 for Douglas and Bishopstown, €5 for Ballincollig, Carrigaline and Carrigtwohill and €8 for Midleton.

See www.buseireann.ie for more information.

See guinessjazzfestival.com for full details of the festival.