Broadway’s ‘Beetlejuice’ musical returns to Tampa this month
It’s showtime. Based on the 1988 Tim Burton film “Beetlejuice,” the musical of the same name comes back to Tampa this month. The performance—opening at Straz Center next week—brings a different take to the original film. Lydia Deetz, originally played by Winona Ryder, takes the lead in the production as she mourns the death of…
As Tampa Theatre restoration continues, the book about its 100-year history gets release date
Tampa Theatre is in the midst of its centennial restoration, and now a book chronicling 100 years of the historic venue has a release date. University Press of Florida says “Tampa Theatre: A Century of Stories” will hit shelves this fall. It’s the final work from beloved University of South Florida librarian and historian Andy…
Tim Payne, the World Cup’s fastest rising social media star, hits the field in Tampa this weekend
This weekend Tampa soccer fans will have a chance to see soccer’s newest rising social media star. A few weeks ago the 32-year-old New Zealand defender Tim Payne was nearly unknown, and now his Instagram following has grown by millions. His rise in popularity comes after Valen Scarsini, an Argentinian influencer (@ elscarso) launched a…
New Mexican restaurant La Victoria opening in downtown Tampa this fall
La Victoria is planning to open in September at 105 W. Tyler St., the same block as Nueva Cantina and the upcoming Matilde.
Pulitzer-nominated play about the US Constitution comes to St. Pete Beach this summer
A year after triumphantly reopening, The Beach Theatre is hosting its first-ever live production. Hannah Hockman, director of the historic St. Pete Beach venue, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that “What The Constitution Means To Me” opens later this month, with plans to run past the Fourth of July. The Pulitzer-nominated work includes quotes from…
To close 20th anniversary season, St. Pete Opera stages summer production of ‘La Boheme’
Two decades ago, Mark Sforzini stepped up to the podium at St. Petersburg’s Palladium Theater to conduct the first production from a brand-new opera company. It was Puccini’s “La Boheme,” and that fledgling company was St. Petersburg Opera. Both were immediate successes with audiences. That success has continued for St. Petersburg Opera, which has grown…
Tampa Bay’s best live music happening June 4-10
Tampa Bay’s live music weekend is back once again, and it’s heavy on shows at Crowbar (where Fessi K, pictured, appears twice this week), the famed Ybor City venue set to close in two months after two decades in Tampa. But there are also some unique offerings like the sober, sunset house music show happening…
Country songwriter and Sirius XM DJ Sunny Sweeney brings a ‘Rhinestone Requiem’ to Tampa
A Rhinestone Requiem is coming to the Skipperdome, thanks to Sunny Sweeney. The 49-year-old songwriter, emergent Sirius XM DJ (“Sunny Side Up”‘” on Willie’s Roadhouse), and Trisha Yearwood collaborator is on the road supporting her 2025 outing, razzling and dazzling fans of honky-tonking country music with soul. Tickets to see Sunny Sweeney at Skipper’s Smokehouse…
Fresh off Steve Buscemi collaboration, ‘City of Immigrants’ songwriter Steve Earle returns to Clearwater
Steve Earle is not mincing words when it comes to his view of the country right now, and an arguably more famous Steve is helping the 71-year-old American songwriting icon make noise. Last month Earle—who is on the road celebrating his 51 years of songwriter—and longtime New Yorker Steve Buscemi released a music video for…
American power-pop giant Five Eight returns to Ybor City with new LP in tow
A year after screening its new documentary at Crowbar, Five Eight comes back to Ybor City to pay its respects to the famed venue set to close after July. This time the Athens indie-rock giant supports a new album, Help A Sinner, released last month. Featuring contributions from Drive-By Truckers’ Jay Gonzalez (who played keys…
Tampa music industry panel will discuss DIY approach to making your own space in 2026 events landscape
No Clubs Presents’ industry-focused panel series have spent the last five months inviting local bands, songwriters, managers, venue owners—anyone connected to the local music ecosystem—to come together and talk about what makes (and breaks) the scene. Past talks have tackled touring and booking, marketing and press, legal and distribution. This one taps some of the…
Pinellas underground radio station Sector.FM launches fundraiser, and opens new DIY third space this weekend
Last month, beloved DIY, Gulf Coast radio station Sector.FM put out a call to action seeking help to keep its community afloat and accessible. On social media, the team showcased new fundraiser merchandise: a clean, cream T-shirt with a dark blue Sector.FM logo on the chest. The back of the tee holds the penmanship of…
Post-‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ St. Pete’s Discord Addams wants to lead the punk revolution
Before heading out on her “Emo Fest” tour and headlining Cocktail’s Pride weekend this month, Addams talked to CL about making it to the top six, reinventing The Pope and starting a creative revolution.
DeSantis is ‘very good’ for naming a Florida airport after Trump, says Trump
Gov. Ron DeSantis is “very good” and has bestowed a “great honor” upon Donald Trump by renaming the airport neighboring Mar-a-Lago after him, the 47th president said Wednesday. Trump’s praise for the Florida governor — previously rare for his former presidential opponent — comes one week after state lawmakers agreed to spend $2.75 million to…
Florida lawmakers pass DeSantis property tax plan, but with carveout for public schools
Lawmakers on Tuesday approved a sweeping tax cut for homestead property owners pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, sending it to the November ballot. The measure increases the existing $50,000 exemption for homestead properties to $150,000 starting in 2027, and it increases to $250,000 in 2028. The exemption, though, doesn’t apply to school taxes, after lawmakers…
Globetrotting indie-folk songwriter Josh Rouse plays intimate St. Pete concert at Kerouac house
With roots in Nebraska, Josh Rouse’s life has taken him across the vast spoils of America, from the west coast, across the desert, into the Dakotas, and even the South. He even lived in Spain and has recorded melancholic smart indie-folk pretty much every step of the way. The 54-year-old brings all that experience and…
Emo Night Tampa’s no-cover 11th anniversary concert is also its last at Crowbar
Emo in itself is a bittersweet concept and this show from local lords of the genre is just that. To mark 11 years of concerts, Emo Night Tampa stages one last show inside Crowbar, which will close in just over 50 days. In a statement, organizers lauded the venue for years of support, calling the…
ChatGPT creators knew product would cause harm, Florida argues in lawsuit
OpenAI should’ve known the damage its chatbot would cause, the state argues in a lawsuit against ChatGPT’s creators. In an 83-page filing in state circuit court in Highlands County, the Florida Department of Legal Affairs and Attorney General James Uthmeier laid ChatGPT’s rollout and management side-by-side with instances in which the technology has been consulted or involved…
Florida lawmakers move to save public schools from DeSantis’ property tax plan
The Florida Legislature is moving quickly to put into play a revamped proposal pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to drastically reduce property taxes, homestead and otherwise, with potential final passage as early as Tuesday. Top legislative Republicans in the House and Senate altered the plan Monday to exempt from reduction or potential elimination the property…
Florida officials weigh in on the federal rescheduling of medical marijuana
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is scheduled to hold a hearing later this month to consider the broader federal rescheduling of cannabis. The move follows U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche’s order from April to immediately reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. Although some observers have said that the direct effects of rescheduling medical cannabis remains…
St. Pete’s Red Mesa Cantina abruptly closes after parent company files for bankruptcy
Downtown St. Petersburg’s longtime Tex-Mex spot Red Mesa Cantina announced its immediate closure this morning, just one day after its parent company filed for bankruptcy protection. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce that, effective immediately, Red Mesa Cantina will be closing after 16 unforgettable years in downtown St. Petersburg,” posted the restaurant on…
DeSantis’ property tax plan will hurt small businesses, make Florida ‘more unaffordable,’ says advocates
City and county governments would face major reductions in revenues for essential services if Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to substantially cut homeowners’ property taxes is approved by lawmakers and then 60% of the public as a constitutional amendment later this year. Advocates for local governments in Florida held emergency “webinars” Monday morning ahead of this…
A Bahama Shores home designed by Busch Gardens architect William B. Harvard is now on the market
A Tampa Bay home designed by the late William B. Harvard Sr., an architect behind some of the area’s most recognizable buildings, is now for sale in St. Petersburg’s Bahama Shores. Located at 6311 Bahama Shores Dr. S, the house is one of the original homes built in the neighborhood, and one of only two…
Former Tampa Bay Bucs TE Kyle Rudolph is selling his Davis Islands home
Two-time Pro Bowler and former Buccaneers tight end Kyle Rudolph is looking to sell his Tampa home on Davis Islands. Located at 619 Ontario Ave., the home was purchased by the current Big Ten analyst and his wife Jordan in 2024 for $3,725,000, according to property records. The 5,684-square-foot abode comes with five bedrooms and…
Tampa earns -1 Michelin stars, Guy Fieri loves Supernatural, Daily Eats says goodbye and more local food news
Food News Tampa Bay restaurants earn no new Michelin stars at 2026 award ceremony For its fifth year in the Sunshine State, the prestigious Michelin guide hosted its Florida awards ceremony this afternoon, and unfortunately no new Tampa Bay restaurants earned a star. The Tampa restaurants that kept their Michelin one-star rating, include Ebbe, Kosen, Koya and…
Tampa Bay Brew Bus is shutting down
After 15 years of chauffeuring beer lovers around town, Tampa Bay Brew Bus is ready to pump the brakes. The popular local brewery shuttle and designated driver announced it will permanently shutdown operations Sunday, May 31. “What started as a passion project built around craft beer and safe transportation grew into something truly special because…
Poll shows 20% of Florida Hispanics who voted for Trump in 2024 say they wouldn’t do it again
A poll of 500 Florida Hispanic voters reveals that while there is dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s performance in office, it’s not translating into support for Democratic Party candidates in the two marquee races on the statewide ballot this fall. The survey comes from UnidosUS and was conducted jointly by the Democratic-leaning polling firm BSP Research and…
DeSantis’ plan to eliminate Florida property tax is different than what he pitched
New legislation filed in the Senate Thursday doesn’t quite match how Gov. Ron DeSantis described his property tax proposal during a lengthy news conference in Tampa Wednesday. Senate Joint Resolution 2F, is offered by Miami Republican Sen. Bryan Avila and contains the proposal the governor’s office sent to the Senate. The joint resolution would increase the state’s…
