A group photograph by Nick Cardello showing five partygoers posing together at Bolts Brew Fest inside Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, on July 25, 2026. On the far left, an individual with a full dark beard and long wavy hair leans toward the camera holding a small plastic tasting cup of beer while wearing a lavender striped polo shirt. In the center foreground, an attendee with long brown hair smiles while wearing a dark blue Tampa Bay Lightning shirt, positioned in front of a person in a grey baseball cap. On the right, two attendees stand side-by-side: one wearing a blue "BELIEVE" Tampa Bay Lightning t-shirt, a blue "TBL" hat, and plaid shorts, with an arm around an individual wearing a dark navy ringer t-shirt, denim shorts, and a cream crossbody bag. Glowing arena ribbon boards and event lighting fill the background.
Partygoers at Bolts Brew Fest inside Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida on July 25, 2026. Credit: Nick Cardello / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Sweaty armpits quickly dried up last Saturday when the Tampa Bay Lightning opened Benchmark International Arena to fans looking to throw one back inside downtown’s extremely air-conditioned hockey palace.

At the ninth annual Bolts Brew Fest, brewers both local and beyond took over not just the floor of Benchmark, but the concourse, too, for what felt like a laid back, libatious kegs party complete with locker room tours, slushy tequila, the loudest steinhoist ever, Stiegl shots, games, golf, Denis Phillips, and more.

All photos by Nick Cardello

This article appears in July 23 – 29, 2026.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...