Gasparilla Music Festival returns to Tampa with a new downtown stage

Gasparilla Music Festival is officially returning in 2026, and its comeback comes with a major upgrade in location and scale.

After a one-year hiatus, the three-day festival will take over Meridian Fields—an 11.5-acre site in the heart of Water Street Tampa—from April 10–12, 2026. Positioned along East Cumberland Avenue and South Meridian Avenue, the new venue places the festival directly within one of downtown Tampa’s most active and rapidly evolving districts, just steps from the waterfront and minutes from Ybor City.

Since launching in 2012, Gasparilla Music Festival has grown into one of Tampa Bay’s most recognizable cultural events, blending nationally touring artists with local talent, strong food and beverage programming, and a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere. Organizers expect nearly 10,000 attendees per day in 2026, signaling a strong return for a festival that has long been tied to the city’s spring calendar.

The move to Water Street Tampa also marks a new partnership, with the district stepping in as the festival’s 2026 title sponsor. The centrally located site offers the space and infrastructure needed to support multiple stages, larger crowds, and a more seamless festival experience, while keeping GMF rooted in the urban core rather than on the outskirts of downtown.

Beyond the music, the festival continues to serve a larger mission. Gasparilla Music Festival acts as a major fundraiser for Recycled Tunes, its nonprofit arm dedicated to getting musical instruments and education into the hands of children across Tampa Bay—an initiative that has helped define GMF as a community-driven event since its early years.

Presale tickets will be available starting December 17, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., with artist announcements, programming details, and logistics expected to roll out in the coming weeks. With a new home, renewed momentum, and a central downtown stage, Gasparilla Music Festival’s 2026 return is shaping up to be one of Tampa’s most anticipated cultural moments of the year.