You can’t stop the jazz!

Hotel bookings are strong and spirits are high for the 43rd Guinness Jazz Festival despite a number of factors going against the internationally famous Leeside festival.

Both Cork Airport and Kent Train Station will be closed for the event, while an update to Covid-19 restrictions announced on Tuesday has complicated matters further.

Cork Airport is closed due to largescale works on its main runway, while Kent Station will be closed all of next week for work to be carried out on a new signalling system.

However, city publican and Cork city and county Chairperson of the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI), Michael O’Donovan says he believes Cork can still put on a belter of a jazz weekend.

“I think we can still put on a good weekend for the people of Cork. Talking to colleagues across the hotel sector, bookings are still strong for the weekend. Premises are dependent on having a good weekend and hopefully this will give confidence and lead us into a good Christmas season,” Mr O’Donovan told the Cork Independent.

He said he believes this year will be a “very local festival” and he hopes the people of Cork city and county will come out and support the event.

“Look, jobs are dependent on it. It's the first major event in Ireland since December of 2019.”

I know myself that people have been ringing and trying to book tables. It's very disappointing that we didn't get more capacity in our premises but we have to go with what's there now,” he said.

Several announcements made by the Government on Tuesday regarding Covid-19 restrictions meant that last minute changes have had to be made in the approach to the festival.

One of the most significant announcements stipulated that all indoor live entertainment will no longer be subject to limited capacities.

However, these events must all be seated, meaning that any venue that has sold tickets for an indoor standing event for this year’s Jazz Festival must now make alternative arrangements in order to meet requirements.

Social distancing and facemasks will continue to be enforced in indoor settings, with masks permitted to be removed for the consumption of food and alcohol.

Anyone attending an indoor event will be required to carry an EU Digital Covid Certificate or proof of vaccine/recovery.

There was some good news for pubs which can now welcome ten customers to a table, with a maximum of fifteen people including children.

According to Mr O’Donovan, although this is positive news for some, many publicans were “cautiously optimistic” that more freedom would be granted by Tuesday’s announcement.

He said: “Out of desperation, some needed to see changes and unfortunately, we haven't seen enough change. The increase in table sittings is a help for some but the bar counter was really the critical piece of infrastructure that we really needed to see.”

In preparation for the festival, which will see over 1,000 acts perform throughout the weekend, Jazz Fest hot-spot, the Metropole Hotel, has hired 50 extra staff to cope with the expected throngs of Jazz enthusiasts.

Roger Russell, General Manager of the Metropole Hotel said: “We are very excited about the return of this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival and as always, the Metropole Hotel will be at the heart of the action.”

One of the highlight performers this year will be New York hip-hop legend Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def who will make his first ever appearance on Irish soil.

Other must-see performances include Cork’s much-loved singer-songwriter Mick Flannery accompanied by the critically acclaimed Susan O’Neill.

For a full list of venues and performers at this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, visit guinnessJazzfestival.com where tickets are currently on sale.