St. Pete’s Second Screen Cult Cinema kicks off 2026 season with ‘Blade Runner’
For nearly 12 years now, Second Screen Cult Cinema has brought lovers of out-of-the-box movies together, and it kicks off a new season with a screening of the dystopian 1982 sci-fi classic “Blade Runner” at the series’ new permanent home, Green Light Cinema. This presentation is a rare chance to see the 2007 “real” director’s…
Creative Loafing editor to kick 2026 season of ‘Salud and Happy Days’ improv show
Since its inception in December 2023, The Commodore’s “Salud and Happy Days” series has worked to celebrate Tampa by getting locals to tell stories onstage before improv comedians act out scenes based on what comes out in the interview. The series has welcomed the likes of “The Tampa Natives” host Mario Núñez, journalists Paul Guzzo…
Morrissey’s St. Petersburg concert is still on for now
Smiths singer Morrissey has canceled his first concerts of 2026, blaming an “adverse reaction” to “prescription medication,” but his January show in St. Petersburg is still on… for now. Morrissey’s Tampa Bay show is the second-to-last stop on his current wintertime run through the U.S. and is set for Tuesday, Jan. 20 at Mahaffey Theater.…
‘Mind-expanding’ cosmic-country songwriter Daniel Donato is coming to Largo this spring
Country music always feels best at country bars, and that’s exactly what’s happening this spring when one of the genre’s hottest songwriters comes to the Bay area. In 2023, Rolling Stone called Daniel Donato “Nashville’s new guitar hero,” and over the summer lauded how a new album channeled other guitar greats and Gram Parsons. The…
Tampa Monitor: City Council set to vote on ‘Resilient’ South Howard flood project this week
Item 32 appears on the consent portion of the agenda, which normally means there’s no discussion, but if there was a betting market for it you could retire betting this one gets pulled. The project is now branded as the Resilient South Howard Flood Relief project. While this project has been in the works for years, after the…
New Florida bill would make medical marijuana certifications good for two years
Florida medical marijuana patients, now required to have a physician certify that they are qualified to remain in the state’s prescription program about every seven months, would have that requirement relaxed to just once every two years under a bill introduced by a Republican lawmaker this week. The legislation (SB 1032) by Sen. Alexis Calatayud,…
David Jolly campaign says its raised more than $3 million in race to be Florida governor
The David Jolly campaign announced Friday that it raised more than $1 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 and more than $3 million overall in his race for the Democratic nomination for Florida governor. That number pales in comparison to the $40 million Republican Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial campaign announced last month. Jolly is a former…
Tampa City Council will honor master clerk Shirley Foxx-Knowles on Thursday
Tampa CIty Council on Jan. 8, 2026 os expected to vote on $1 million HOPE shelter expansion, but the real test comes in how they spend the next six months.
![With mixed feelings, Venezuelans and protesters take to Tampa streets after capture of Nicolás Maduro [PHOTOS]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Tampa-maduro-reaction-2025-photo-by-Dave-Decker-8.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
With mixed feelings, Venezuelans and protesters take to Tampa streets after capture of Nicolás Maduro [PHOTOS]
The Migration Policy Institute said that as of 2023, 770,000 Venezuelan immigrants lived in the United States. The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau puts 334,415 of them in Florida, with just under 13,000 in Hillsborough and more than 5,000 in Pinellas. A small contingent waved flags outside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa last…
Tampa’s Jobsite Theater isn’t pretending ‘Comedy of Errors’ is a thesis statement
Shakespeare skeptics, relax. This one isn’t trying to teach you anything. It’s trying to make you laugh. That’s the guiding principle behind Jobsite Theater’s upcoming production of “The Comedy of Errors”, running Jan. 14–Feb. 8 at the Jaeb Theater. Set in the groovy, slightly unhinged world of the 1960s, this is Shakespeare stripped of reverence and played at…
Reschduled Florida Birding & Nature Festival comes to Apollo Beach in April
The 2024 hurricane season, which devastated natural lands across the Tampa Bay region, had a silver lining for the Florida Birding & Nature Festival (FBNF). Although past events were held in October to coincide with fall migration, a new spring schedule, which occurs before hurricane season, will now allow participants to see even more migratory birds in…
Wrestling legend Mick Foley comes to Tampa on Wednesday
We’d recommend this one no matter what, because Mick Foley is one of the most compelling characters the sport of professional wrestling has ever seen. From his blood-soaked high-wire days as Cactus Jack to becoming a near-household name as Mankind during WWE’s most popular 1990s/2000s Attitude era, Foley enthralled and entertained throughout a decades-long career.…
Canadians are still staying away from Florida, but tourism saw a slight increase overall
TALLAHASSEE — Florida posted a slight increase in tourism during the third quarter of 2025 from a year earlier, even as Canadians continued to back off on travel to the U.S. Visit Florida estimated 34.339 million people traveled to the state between the start of July and end of September, up from 34.239 million during…
FWC says 52 bears were ‘harvested’ in Florida’s 2025 bear hunt
Fifty-two bears were “harvested” during the recently wrapped 2025 bear hunt, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a release Tuesday.
Photos: Every fabulous ‘Space Slut’ we saw ringing in the new year at St. Pete’s Cocktail gay bar
Photos from the New Year’s Eve 2025 party at St. Petersburg, Florida gay bar Cocktail.
15 of the most important concerts in No Clubs Presents history
As No Clubs Presents turns 40, founders remember the most important shows in the St. Petersburg promotions company’s history.
Tampa Bay concert promoter No Clubs marks 40 years of scene building
St. Petersburg-born promotions company No Clubs marks milestone 40th anniversary with retrospective art show.
18 Tampa Bay concerts to kick off 2026
A listing of the best concerts and live music happening across Tampa Bay Jan. 1-8, 2026.
Q&A: The California Honeydrops’ Lech Wierzynski discusses creative process ahead of St. Pete show
With musical styles rooted in New Orleans jazz clubs, Motown records, and Mississippi juke joints, The California Honeydrops are a bit of a paradox. The San Francisco Bay Area white boys seem to have stumbled their way to success, despite their resistance to music industry standards. Led by Polish-born frontman, Lech Wierzynski, The Honeydrops maintain…
Geri X kicks off Ale & the Witch residency on Thursday
When it comes to OGs of the Bay area folk scene, they don’t get much realer than Geri X, a perennial Best of the Bay-winner who is switching gears a bit and bringing a piano into the Ale & the Witch gallery as she kicks off a month-long Thursday residency. Known for her clarion call…
Road To Nowhere Talking Heads tribute celebrates 4,000 shows this weekend
Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads will be at Clearwater’s Capitol Theatre on Jan. 21 for a screening of the 1984 Talking Heads concert film, “Stop Making Sense,” but Road To Nowhere can hold the Headiest of fans over until then. The cover outfit celebrates 4,000 shows with this no-cover party happening Sunday, Jan. 4 at…
$5,000 and an Opera Tampa role up for grabs this weekend at Straz Center
Launched by former Opera Tampa board chair Gina d’Angelo to honor her parents’ Pennsylvania competition, the D’Angelo Young Artist Vocal Competition seeks to build opera stars of the next generation.
Al Anderson’s Original Wailers play Ybor City this weekend
Al Anderson, who played with Bob Marley, brings his version of The Wailers to Tampa for a concert on Jan. 3, 2026.
Tampa’s fabled Tiny Tap Tavern has finally sold, but don’t expect much to change
Tiny Tap Tavern, a storied Tampa dive bar that dates back almost 100 years, has new owners.
‘Beginning of the End’ concert kicks of Crowbar’s final year in Ybor City
Storied Tampa venue Crowbar kicks off its final year in Ybor City with a two-day concert Jan. 2-3, 2026.
The Bends’ no-cover show, Donna the Buffalo, among best NYE concerts in Tampa Bay
A listing of New Year’s Eve concerts happening in Tampa Bay on Dec. 31, 2025.
Rock the Park Tampa hosts free New Year’s Day concert
Some people believe that whatever you do on New Year’s Day will carry over into the entire year, so why not ring in 2026 with a free concert in the park? The Tampa Downtown Partnership’s monthly showcase of homegrown talent is in its 16th year and kicks off the year with Whale Feral. The rock…
St. Pete has a New Year’s Day dance party that starts at 7AM
Tampa Bay’s New Year’s Day concert lineup includes an EDM party that starts at 7 a.m.
Here’s where cold weather shelters are open in Hillsborough and Pinellas tonight
With close to freezing temperatures expected across the Tampa Bay area on Dec. 30, 2025, cold weather shelters have opened in multiple counties.
Florida’s flamingo population needs intervention for recovery, UCF study says
A study led by biology graduate student Jessica Folsom used genomic data in determining the flamingo population and its genetics in Florida and proposes strategies to restore the population.
10 Florida legal issues to watch in 2026
Alligator Alcatraz. Guns. Social media. Legal battles about those and myriad other Florida issues remain unresolved heading into 2026.
Clearwater’s TheatreFor stages one-woman fringe double feature
Gabrielle Leonore’s “My Life as an ‘Inspirational P*rn Star” and Emily Weitzman’s “Furniture Boys” both showed at Tampa and Edinburgh fringe festivals over the summer.
Creative Pinellas’ last exhibit at Largo gallery ends next weekend
The exhibition themed “From Now to Next” acts as its goodbye celebration as the publicly defunded arts program prepares to close its office and gallery space in Largo by Feb. 1.
High and Dry Festival brings dozens of THC drink brands to St. Pete this weekend
More than 60 brands will showcase their THC-infused drinks, plus adaptogens, nootropics and alcohol-free libations at St. Pete’s Coliseum this weekend.
Tampa Museum of Art showcases renowned Japanese-American artist
“Silence Before Sound” features nearly 50 pieces of Kaneko’s large-scale ceramic sculptures, paintings and works on paper, tracing back six decades of his work.
Chuck Redd, who just canceled a Kennedy Center concert over Trump, is coming to Tampa in January
Chuck Redd, in headlines lately over his protest of Trump renaming the Kennedy Center, plays a Tampa Jazz Club concert on Jan. 17, 2026.
Photos: Everyone we saw at Coppertail’s Crowbar legacy beer concert
Though there will still be a few gigs in the new year, the last 2025 show featured the unveiling of an honorary “Legacy” beer from Coppertail Brewing Company along with music from Emo Night DJs, Four Star Riot and the Soft Rock Renegades.
Tampa Bay’s biggest stories of 2025
In 2025, the most read stories on Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s website illustrate a readership extremely interested in police accountability, Trump’s homegrown attorney general, immigration, elections, and the environment (you guys really care about what happens as FDOT makes plans to touch up the Courtney Campbell Causeway!)
Before NYE gig in Clearwater, Donna The Buffalo’s Tara Nevins recalls the best gig she ever saw
There’s currently no telling whether Jim Lauderdale will show up for a guest spot, but expect an accordion-drenched career retrospective to kiss 2025’s ass goodbye next week.
