Founded by Francis Humphrys in 1996 after the first successful Chamber Music Festival,  the Bantry-based organisation has evolved into an established provider of three renowned festivals – the West Cork Chamber Music Festival (WCCMF), the West Cork Literary Festival (WCLF), and Masters of Tradition (MoT) – which operate over six weeks each summer. 

West Cork Music also supports a growing event series and a thriving festival education programme.

The extraordinary standard of the festivals, and their spectactular backdrop in the heritage harbour town, help attract passionate local, national, and international audiences into the heart of Bantry, producing a variety of artistic and cultural benefits and an economic impact measured at €4.75m in 2024 alone.  

As one of Ireland’s most impressive, innovative, and mature regional arts organisations, West Cork Music has a proven capacity to drive education and outreach initiatives of scale, from its own workshop and outreach programmes to hosting national and EU programmes. Its concerts are broadcast internationally through RTÉ and the European Broadcasting Union. 

In this 30th Anniversary Year of the Chamber Music Festival, West Cork Music is seeking to secure the future of the festivals, broaden their reach, and improve access to the arts by moving forward with its plans to establish a world-class, accessible arts venue and education hub in the heart of Bantry town. 

WCM is now at the detailed design stage of this process, and it plans to complete the planning permission process in 2025. 

2025 FESTIVALS:
West Cork Chamber Music Festival 26 June - 6 July 2025
West Cork Literary Festival 11 - 18 July 2025
Masters of Tradition 20 - 24 August 2025

Registered Charity: 20034726 CHY12097

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