It’ll be his first-ever Irish appearance.

Luckily, New York hip-hop legend Yasiin Bey (FKA Mos Def) will be in good hands with Leeside audiences at the 43rd Guinness Cork Jazz Festival this October bank holiday weekend.

Closing the festival on Monday evening, the rapper will perform at Cork Opera House with a live band in one of the biggest shows of this year’s event.

Tickets for the performance go on sale tomorrow at €40.

Other headliner acts include the uniquely soulful Matthew Halsall, a composer, trumpeter, producer, DJ, and founder of Gondwana Records, who will perform with a hand-picked ensemble featuring some of Manchester’s finest young musicians.

The hugely popular Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, made up of seven brothers from the south side of Chicago, are back following sell-out performances in 2018 and will support Yasiin Bey at Cork Opera House as well as hosting their own show at The Everyman.

Cork’s much-loved singer-songwriter Mick Flannery will take the stage with the critically acclaimed Susan O’Neill, with Mack Fleetwood, DJ Jenny Greene, King Kong Company and Kit Downes with his highly anticipated album Dreamlife of Debris live in concert all in the mix for this year too.

We’ll also be treated to a special live debut performance of ChoiceCut’s recording project Mas Exodus by ChoiceCut’s Mark Murphy and musical director Max Zaska, supported by the Department of Culture & Tourism, and featuring some of Ireland’s most talented musicians, while Cork’s two inimitable and formidable jazz musicians, Paul Dunlea (trombone) and Cormac McCarthy (piano) are joining forces in a set to include original jazz compositions.

The Jazz Festival Club at the Metropole Hotel will host Fans of Swing, Funk, Groove, Blues and Dixieland and The Jazz Music Trail will see the city come alive across 60 Cork venues.