Tampa Bay Blues Festival 2027: 31 Years of Waterfront Blues in St. Petersburg

Three Decades of Blues on the Bay

Long before it became one of the Southeast's most respected music festivals, the Tampa Bay Blues Festival started as a passion project. Founder Charles W. Ross, who ran a blues club and restaurant in the area, launched the event in 1995 to give Florida's blues community a stage of its own. Three decades later, that scrappy local gathering has grown into an award winner — named "Best U.S. Blues Festival" and honored with the Blues Foundation's "Keeping the Blues Alive" award — that draws national headliners and thousands of fans to the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront every April.

In April 2026, the festival marked its 30th anniversary with three days of music from Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band, Los Lobos, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jimmie Vaughan, Charlie Musselwhite, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, and a deep bench of rising artists like Jontavious Willis and Nikki Hill. Now the festival is back for its 31st year, with dates locked in for April 9-11, 2027 — same waterfront setting, another stacked lineup, and a kickoff party the night before.

Event at a Glance

• Event: Tampa Bay Blues Festival — 31st Annual
• Location: Vinoy Waterfront Park, downtown St. Petersburg, FL
• When: Friday-Sunday, April 9-11, 2027 (kickoff party Thursday, April 8, 2027)
• Price: General admission single-day from $75; 3-day pass $180; VIP single-day from $350; VIP 3-day package $825 (all plus service fees; kids under 12 free with a paying adult)
• Main Audience: Blues and roots-music fans, Florida festival-goers, diaspora travelers building a Southern music circuit
• Travel Vibe: Waterfront, laid-back, golden-hour concert energy with a serious musical pedigree

The Setting: Vinoy Waterfront Park

What sets this festival apart from a typical concert lot is the setting. Vinoy Waterfront Park sits directly on Tampa Bay in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, with the marina's sailboat masts and the historic Vinoy Renaissance Resort as a backdrop. Festival stages face the water, so as the afternoon sets progress into the national headliners after dark, the sky over the bay turns into its own light show. It's a rare combination for a music festival this size: real shade, real breeze off the water, and a genuine sense of place instead of a generic fairground.

What to Expect: The 2026 Lineup (30th Anniversary Edition)

To give a sense of the caliber of artists this festival books, here's how the verified 30th anniversary weekend broke down across three days:

• Friday: Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band, Los Lobos, Tommy Castro, Jackie Venson & Yates McKendree
• Saturday: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jimmie Vaughan, Charlie Musselwhite, GA-20, Nikki Hill, Jontavious Willis Band
• Sunday: Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, Toronzo Cannon, Vanessa Collier, Darrell Nulisch

For 2027's 31st edition, the announced lineup (subject to change per the festival's own listings) includes Trombone Shorty, Shemekia Copeland, Jon Cleary, and Piper and the Hard Times on Friday, April 9; Ruthie Foster, Los Lonely Boys, JJ Grey, Bywater Call, and Dylan Triplett on Saturday, April 10; and Tab Benoit, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Eric Gales, and Mr. Sipp closing out Sunday, April 11. Sets typically run from midday into a 10 p.m. finish each evening, with a Thursday night kickoff party the night before gates open.

A Festival Built by and for the Blues Community

The Tampa Bay Blues Festival operates as a non-profit, and proceeds support the PARC Center For Disabilities alongside other local causes — so a ticket here is also a direct contribution back into the St. Petersburg community. The booking history reads like a who's-who of contemporary and legacy blues, with especially strong representation of Black blues, soul, and roots artists across the eras — from Taj Mahal and Trombone Shorty to Shemekia Copeland, Jontavious Willis, Toronzo Cannon, Eric Gales, and Mr. Sipp. For anyone building a Black travel itinerary around live music, this is one of the more substantial blues gatherings on the festival calendar east of the Mississippi.

Planning Your St. Petersburg / Tampa Bay Weekend

St. Petersburg is served by two airports: Tampa International (TPA), about 25-30 minutes from downtown St. Pete, and St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE), which is closer still. Downtown St. Petersburg is highly walkable, with the festival grounds a short stroll from hotels, restaurants, and the Museum of Fine Arts and Dali Museum if you want to make a cultural day of your trip. April in the Tampa Bay area typically means warm, dry, low-humidity weather — pack sun protection, comfortable shoes for standing on grass, and a light layer for evening breezes off the bay. Because this is one of the busiest weekends of the spring on the St. Pete waterfront, book flights and hotels as early as your dates are confirmed.

Getting Tickets

Tickets are sold exclusively through the festival's official site and Etix — general admission single-day passes start at $75, with a 3-day pass at $180. VIP passes (front-stage seating, waterfront shade tents, complimentary beverages, and private restrooms) run $350 for a single day or $825 for the full weekend. All tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable, so confirm your travel dates before you buy.

Who This Festival Is For

Blues purists chasing legacy acts, roots-music fans who want three days of programming instead of one, and Black travelers looking for a waterfront festival weekend that pairs serious music with an easy, walkable Florida city. It's equally suited to a solo music pilgrimage or a group trip built around a home base in downtown St. Pete.

BTN Insider Tips

Bookmark this page and check back. Festival lineups and set times are sometimes adjusted after they're first announced — always confirm final details on the official festival site before you lock in plans.

Get there for the kickoff party. The Thursday night pre-festival show is a lower-key, often more intimate way to start the weekend before the main stages open.

Bring shade and hydration. The park has some tree cover, but April sun on open grass adds up over a full day of sets — sunscreen, a hat, and water are non-negotiable.

Stay downtown, not on the interstate. A downtown St. Pete hotel puts you in walking distance of the park, the kickoff party venue, and the city's restaurant scene, so you're not driving after a full day of music.

Plan Your Trip

With 31 years of history, a growing reputation among national blues acts, and one of the best festival settings in Florida, the Tampa Bay Blues Festival is worth building a spring trip around. Lock in your St. Petersburg stay and get ready for a waterfront weekend of blues.

*Some links on this page are affiliate links — Black Travel Now may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.