Creative Loafing voting guide 2026: How to vote in Tampa Bay, and who we’re voting for
Early voting is happening through Sunday, Nov. 1 across the Tampa Bay area. Here’s how to do it, and who Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is voting for.
Cast members of Hamilton will be in Tampa next week educating young voters about November election
The room where it happens is in Ybor City on Friday. That’s when Tampa’s young voters get a musical oriented lesson ahead of the midterms, which wrap on Tuesday, Nov. 3 (early voting is happening now). Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning Broadway musical “Hamilton” opens this week at the Straz Center, but some of its touring cast…
Florida GOP drops Hope Florida ad lawsuit
UPDATED: Oct. 21, 2026, 7:11 p.m. ET (This story has been updated with court records from the First District Court of Appeal and the Highlands County dismissal.) The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) on Wednesday filed a notice dismissing its Highlands County lawsuit seeking to ban Democratic television ads about the Hope Florida scandal, abandoning…
Tampa Bay’s best things to do this week, including East Tampa’s haunted car wash
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s big weekly listing of things to do across the Bay area, this time covering Oct. 22-29, 2026.
Tampa Bay’s best live music this week, including The Linda Lindas, Indie Night, and more
This is Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s weekly roundup of the best concerts coming to the Bay area, this time covering Oct. 22-29, 2026, and including sets from The Linda Lindas, Jacuzzi Boys, and others.
They Hate Change plays rare Tampa concert this month for ‘Heightened Senses’
They Hate Change, the Tampa hip-hop duo signed to Jagjaguwar records in 2021, plays a rare, no-cover, concert on Oct. 29, 2026 at Wave & See’s ‘Heightened Senses’ event.
Shock rocker, bestselling author, Alice Cooper, returns to Clearwater on Tuesday
Alice Cooper returns to Clearwater on Oct. 27, 2026, with a new LP, ‘he Revenge of Alice Cooper,’ and a bestselling memoir, in tow.
Now on major label, and fresh off Hayley Williams collab, LA punk band The Linda Lindas comes to Tampa
The Linda Lindas, an L.A. punk band now signed to Warner Bros., brings its third LP to Tampa for a show on Oct. 25, 2026.
Miami rock band Jacuzzi Boys returns to Ybor City, a year after frontman’s brain tumor diagnosis
Jacuzzi Boys, the beloved Miami rock band, returns to Ybor City this weekend, Oct. 25, 2026, in support of a new LP, ‘Too Cold To Tango.’
‘Ybor Horror’ rock concert comes to Coppertail Brewing this weekend
Tampa Halloween concert ‘Ybor Horror’ has found a new come at Coppertail Brewing, after the closure of Crowbar. It returns this weekend, Oct. 24, 2026, with a healthy lineup of indie-rock band.
Grammy-nominated Alfred Banks is part of ‘Rap-Toberfest’ concert coming to Dunedin this weekend
Rap-Toberfest brings an eclectic lineup of emcees, including Alfred Banks, to Dunedin on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Nekrogoblikon’s 20th anniversary tour comes to Tampa, just in time for Halloween
The kitschy metal band Nekrogoblikon comes to Tampa on a 20th anniversary tour on Oct. 24, 2026.
St. Pete reggae-rock band The Hip Abduction set to play biggest hometown headline show to date
St. Petersburg reggae-rock band The Hip Abduction plays its largest hometown headlining show to date on Oct. 24, 2026.
Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera is stepping down to run for State House, and now his co-workers must appoint a replacement
Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera is stepping down to run for State House. Tampa’s charter states appointments for empty seats on city council must be filled within 30 days from the seats’ vacancy. Anyone can apply starting Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 9 a.m., with a deadline to submit the paper application at noon on Nov.…
Florida Senate President Ben Albritton says he’ll vote ‘no’ on property tax-cutting Amendment 3
Less than five months after Florida Senate President Ben Albritton hailed his chamber for voting to put a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot seeking a major expansion of the homestead property tax exemption for non-school taxes, he now says he opposes the proposal. “As a native of Florida’s heartland, our rural communities are near…
MacDeezy in ‘Rap House’ lineup coming to Ybor City this weekend
DJ Dfaz continues his recurring showcase of Florida hip-hop, this time bringing acts like MacDeezy to The Bricks in Ybor City on Oct. 23, 2026.
The best new concerts coming to Tampa Bay, including a Damon Fowler benefit and The Lemonheads
A new benefit concert for blues guitarist Damon Fowler tops a new list of the best new concert announcements for the Tampa Bay area.
Photos: Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy make dreams come true at Tampa Orpheum
Indie-rock bands Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy brought a long-awaited co-headlining tour to Tampa Orpheum, as captured in these concert photos.
Despite lawsuit from state GOP, judge refuses to immediately stop Hope Florida ads
The legal position of the Hope Florida grand jury report, already widely reported but also expunged by an appellate court, grew murkier Tuesday amid a multi-pronged effort to prohibit any publication of the document. A group of people named in the grand jury report, first leaked in August, petitioned the 1st District Court of Appeal…
Central Florida man killed by alligator was posing for fish photo when dragged into water
The 71-year-old man who was killed by an alligator while fishing in Winter Garden Friday was posing for a photo holding up a fish when the alligator grabbed him, Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner’s Office announced Monday. Steve Hamilton was fishing at the Dr. Bradford Memorial Park near Lake Apopka Friday when the incident occurred. Winter Garden…
In a redrawn Tampa Bay district favoring Republicans, Kathy Castor faces her toughest battle yet
When the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature approved Gov. Ron DeSantis’ congressional redistricting map earlier this year, members intended to remove some of Florida’s longest-standing Democrats from the 28-member delegation. People like Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Kathy Castor. Wasserman Schultz swiftly (and controversially) shifted to a seat designed to remain blue in South Florida. Castor didn’t have…
Tampa Bay food & drink events happening October 22-29, including WEDU visit from five-time James Beard winning author
WEDU PBS’s “Man on Fire” BBQ & book celebration with Steven Raichlen tops a new list of food & drinks coming to Tampa Bay between Oct. 22-29.
Tampa historian to give ‘not-so-spooky’ Saturday tour of Oaklawn Cemetery
Dating back to 1850, Oaklawn Cemetery is one of Tampa’s oldest, and a local historian will dive into its history at this tour happening Oct. 24, 2026.
The U.S. has never elected a Black Republican governor. Will Florida be the first?
By many measures, Florida seems like an ideal place for Rep. Byron Donalds to make history as the first Black Republican ever elected governor. President Donald Trump’s adopted home state has lunged to the right in recent years, netting the GOP an advantage of 1.5 million active registered voters. Under term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis’ leadership,…
Clearwater GreekFest offers food, church tours, dancing and more this weekend
At nearly 60 years old, the Clearwater GreekFest is one of the oldest cultural celebrations in the Tampa Bay area. It returns this weekend, Oct. 23-25, 2026.
New Mexican restaurant La Victoria opens in downtown Tampa
The absence of margaritas isn’t going to stop downtown Tampa’s latest coastal Mexican restaurant from opening. La Victoria, located at 105 W Tyler St. in the former Melting Pot Social spot, announced on social media Monday afternoon that it will finally open its doors, despite the fact it’s still waiting on approval for a liquor license…
At Tampa Bay rally, Ashley Moody walks away from Flock camera question after saying she’s not avoiding press
U.S. Sen Ashley Moody and U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna held a campaign rally at The Original Crabby Bill’s restaurant in Indian Rocks Beach, addressing a mostly white, elderly crowd of around 100 people. She only took questions for six minutes after the rally.
South Tampa shop will show Oscar-nominated black-and-white film on 16mm film this Friday
Early this month, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay contributor Alex English called South Tampa’s Paper Seahorse the “Best Proof the Future Is Analog,” and the shop proves it again to kick off the weekend. A variety of shorts set to music open the night before a screening of “David and Lisa.” Released in 1962 and nominated…
The Gimmick, an off the beaten path Ybor City comedy venue, hosts a drunk spelling bee this month
Over the summer, the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee came down to a spelloff between 14-year-old Shrey Parikh from California and 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta from New Jersey. They each had 90 seconds to spell as many words correctly as possible. Parikh ended up doing 32, setting a new record. Words in the tournament included Parikh’s…
Column: The Trop doesn’t suck. Our transit does
Because of my job, as a college professor, I get to travel to different cities for research. The research happens during the summer, so when I am not in a library or archive, I might go to a ballpark. What have I learned? That great baseball cities in the U.S. usually have public transit. Take…
St. Pete and Tampa host massive kid-friendly trick-or-treat events this weekend
Set for next Saturday, Halloween is going to be lit for adults. Kiddos get to warm up this weekend though, with two big family-centric trick-or-treat events happening on each side of the Bay. Tampa goes first on Saturday when the southern end of the Tampa Riverwalk hosts an afternoon party that starts with 4 p.m.…
Following ‘Life After Cars’ talk, Transit Now Tampa Bay organizes Saturday canvass for pro-transit candidates
Community leaders and members gathered on the Hillsborough (Community) College Ybor City campus on Oct. 13 to hear from Doug Gordon, podcast co-host of The War on Cars and co-author of “Life After Cars.” The discussion was a good warmup for the canvassing that transit activists will do in Tampa over the next couple weekends…
In Ybor City, Angie Nixon and Bernie Sanders rally against ‘lying, cheating, scheming, thieving Ashley Moody’ (w/photos)
Surrounded by more than 2,000 rain-soaked supporters at the Cuban Club courtyard in Ybor City last Saturday, Rebecca Dean made an admission: She’s casting a ballot for Angie Nixon. The 61-year-old teacher from Gulfport told the crowd she’s known the Florida lawmaker for years, from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) where Nixon, now running…
St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch deserves another term
Mayor Ken Welch has been up against it during his nearly five years at city hall. Two hurricanes took an unprecedented toll on city services. The roof blew off the Trop in the midst of negotiations with the Rays, and the team decided to leave St. Pete for Tampa. A governor and state legislature wrested…
Florida announces massive data breach weeks after ‘malicious actor’ accessed DMV driver license records
Driver license and motor vehicle data was access by a “malicious actor,” the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported Friday. The unauthorized breach occurred Sept. 4 by an individual using “compromised credentials,” the department stated, adding that immediate steps were taken to contain the activity and secure its systems. “At this time, FLHSMV…
‘You should be ashamed of yourself’: Florida residents criticize state response to Hurricane Isaias
Gov. Ron DeSantis faced backlash at a press conference in Milton on Friday morning from local residents over the state’s response to Hurricane Isaias, a Category 2 storm that slammed the Panhandle on Oct. 9. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” unidentified hecklers told DeSantis. They also took issue with Education Commissioner Henry Mack’s push…
This team is cooked
The fun’s over. That one game the Bucs won last week is forgotten. On Sunday afternoon, the Tampa Bay football Buccaneers took a gut-punch of a loss, falling in overtime to the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-19. The biggest takeaway: undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels was a feel-good story, but his status as a backup should be restored…
Lawsuit by Florida Republicans threatens four Tampa Bay TV stations with criminal prosecution if they air ad about Hope Florida Scandal
The Republican Party of Florida is threatening criminal prosecution of television stations, the Democratic Party and, by the terms of its own legal theory, anyone who repeats a Leon County grand jury’s finding that high-ranking state officials diverted $10 million in the Hope Florida scandal. In a lawsuit filed late Friday night and a letter…
Joe Redner, Tampa free speech advocate and ‘strip club king,’ dies at 86
Tampa free speech icon Joe Redner has passed away at the age of 86, his family confirmed. Joy Lynn Redner, one of Redner’s children, announced his death on Facebook last night. “We love you. You will be missed Dad. Joe Redner passed away this morning. He died peacefully in his sleep,” she wrote. Originally from…
Tampa Bay’s best things to do October 16-22, including Tampa Am, Sanders-Nixon rally, and more
Tampa Am, the Angie Nixon-Bernie Sanders rally, and Art Fair Tampa lead Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s weekly list of things to do, covering Oct. 16-22, 2026.
Tampa Bay theater happenings October 16-22, including ‘Bat Boy: The Musical’ at Carrollwood Cultural Center
‘Bat Boy: The Musical’ runs Oct. 16-25 at Carrollwood Cultural Center, and it tops this listing of Tampa Bay area theater happenings for the week of Oct. 16-22, 2026.
Tampa Bay’s best live music happening October 16-22, including Tampa Pig Jig, Clearwater Jazz Holiday, and more
Tampa Bay’s live music weekend is here, and it’s in festival mode, from the Clearwater Jazz Holiday happening right now in Coachman Park, to Tampa Pig Jig at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Good Folk Fest in St. Pete, and even Chewy Hemphill’s final Pre-Fest going down in Bradenton. Hell, there’s even an Angie Nixon-Bernie…
Salt Lake City rock and roll band Cardinal Bloom comes to Tampa this weekend
The Salt Lake City indie-rock band Cardinal Bloom comes to Tampa on Oct. 18, 2026.
Photos: Tampa Theatre brings time travel to Franklin Street in grand finale for centennial restoration
On Oct. 15, 2026, Tampa Theatre closed its weeklong grand re-opening and 100th anniversary party with a grand finale for the ages.
Tampa historian wants locals to spend some time at the Fortune Taylor Bridge this Monday
Nine years ago, Tampa officials renamed a downtown bridge to honor Madame Fortune Taylor. This Monday, Oct. 19, historian Gloria Jean Royster invites locals to commemorate the anniversary of the renaming by spending time at the site.
Ex-Florida congressman Matt Gaetz accused of sex trafficking in new civil lawsuit
Two women have filed a federal civil lawsuit accusing former Florida U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and two others of participating in an sex trafficking scheme involving young women, drugs, and travel across state lines. It came nearly two years after a House Ethics Committee report said Gaetz made payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars…
The Savannah Bananas will bring world tour to St. Petersburg
After years of viral success and even an ESPN series, Banana Ball is headed on a 74 city world tour and it’s coming to Tampa Bay next spring. The 2027 Banana Ball World Tour will see the Savannah Bananas take on the Loco Beach Coconuts at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on May 7 and…
Tampa dive bar The Hub hosts ‘Paw-loween’ fundraiser for Mercy Full Project
Downtown Tampa dive bar The Hub hosts a Sunday afternoon benefit for Mercy Full Project, a nonprofit working on animal rescue, pet food assistance and community projects.
Florida’s pro-Amendment 3 PAC spent millions on GOP operative connected to ‘ghost candidate’ election fraud scandal
Funded almost entirely by Florida Realtors, the Vote Yes on 3 campaign is hoping to get Amendment 3 passed this November and has raised over $21.5 million to make this happen. Campaign finance records show that over 98% of the political committee’s expenditures are going to a political operative tied to one of Florida’s biggest…
Good Folk Fest, benefitting Creative Clay, returns to St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club this weekend
Good Folk Fest, a concert and festival benefitting St. Petersburg’s Creative Clay is back at the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club on Saturday, Oct. 17.
‘I like having friends’: Before Tampa concert, Soccer Mommy and Snail Mail discuss movies, touring and super-respectful fans
Soccer Mommy and Snail Mail’s fall co-headlining tour is highly anticipated by fans and headed to Florida this weekend. Before a Tampa concert, band founders Sophie Allison and Lindsey Jordan did a joint interview with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
Multiple polls show declining support for Florida’s property tax-cutting Amendment 3
A series of polls out this week indicate local government officials may be getting their message out on Amendment 3 on the November ballot, which asks voters to raise the current exemption for non-school homestead property taxes. The proposal, pushed by DeSantis, needs 60 percent support from voters. Polling came in at 51 percent support…
Camping In Alaska, an emo band from Alabama, returns to Tampa this month
Last April, Vice asked if the phrase “I just want to kickflip into the sunset and disappear,” was an emo song title or a “text from your depressed friend at 2 a.m.” The answer is “probably both,” but the line definitely appeared on Camping In Alaska’s breakout 2013 album Please Be Nice (stylized all-lowercase). Two…
Federal appeals courts backs Florida law restricting social media access for teens
A federal appeals court panel has ruled that Florida’s 2024 law restricting access to social media for teens is likely constitutional and can continued to be enforced while the legal challenge continues. The decision by a three-judge panel of U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit reverses and vacates a preliminary injunction that had blocked…
Chewy Hemphill’s final Pre-Fest concerts happen this week in Bradenton
Chewy Hemphill’s Pre-Fest punk-rock festival celebrates its 10th anniversary, and final outing, with a two-day lineup happening in Bradenton.
A Florida developer told Byron Donalds he ‘cannot continue to build houses’ due to ICE raids, the Republican candidate was not sympathetic
Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds says that under the U.S. Constitution, states “have” to work with the federal government in enforcing immigration laws. However, nine states have adopted laws forbidding compliance with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers and 12 states overall haven’t reached enforcement agreements with the agency. Donalds made those remarks Tuesday…
Old-school Lakeland shoegaze band Nora’s Breakfast Club plays rare concert this weekend
Lakeland shoegaze band Nora’s Breakfast Club has a new single and will play it at a rare concert on Oct. 17, 2026.
Punk and indie hero Ted Leo is playing free Florida concerts for Bernie Sanders and Angie Nixon
Bernie Sanders and Angie Nixon’s Florida campaign stops, including one in Ybor City, will be free concerts, too, thanks to the addition of punk and indie-rock songwriter Ted Leo, who plays two rallies with the politicians.
![Review: In Tampa, Weezer goes for the gold during stacked alt-rock gathering [w/photos]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Weezer-Tampa-BenchmarkInternationalArena-RyanMetcalf-crop.jpg-scaled.png?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
Review: In Tampa, Weezer goes for the gold during stacked alt-rock gathering [w/photos]
Weezer and The Shins brought a blast of vintage indie-rock to Tampa’s Benchmark International Arena on Oct. 15, 2026 for a show that was pure ‘Gold.’
‘Fangsgiving IX’ cover show, WMNF, bring weekend of Halloween concerts to New World Tampa
New World Tampa hosts a pair of Halloween concerts starting Friday, with an EBM gig from WMNF, then the Bay area’s beloved ‘Fangsgiving’ cover show.
Doc Martin, a godfather of the west coast rave scene, returns to Tampa Bay this weekend
Doc Martin, a godfather of the American rave scene who’s literally been a DJ since he was 15, returns to the Tampa Bay area on Oct. 27, 2026 for his first local Serious Soul gig in more than a decade.
Lychee Camp plays no-cover Tampa Am Friday concert in Ybor City
Tampa punk trio Lychee Camp has a new video for ‘Sunday Scaries,’ and headlines a no-cover concert happening as part of the 2026 Tampa Am skateboarding competition.
Expat Tampa rapper ?nowledge is back home and shares redemptive new LP at Friday release show
Tampa rapper ?nowledge left for New Jersey almost a decade ago, but he’s back home and celebrating the release of a new LP, ‘Higher Ground,’ at a no-cover show in Seminole Heights
Dominic Walker’s Davis Islands Friday Night Jazz series just got a little easier to get into
Dominic Walker’s Friday Night Jazz series on Davis Islands in Tampa, Florida has been one of the toughest gigs to get into over the last two years. It just got a boost in capacity though, just in time for its third anniversary on Oct. 16, 2026.
