It’s been a long time since Creative Loafing Tampa Bay held its annual Best of the Bay party in the 727, but readers came out in force last night to celebrate winners and finalists in the 2026 edition.
Held at the Coliseum, as our latest home at the Hard Rock Event Center is under renovation, the community came together at St. Petersburg’s gorgeous 101-year-old Coliseum for a night of food, drink, music, and shenanigans. All of it was to toast more than 500 readers pick winners and finalists, plus over 100 critics picks and an inaugural class of Best of the Bay All-Stars.
Hell, there was even a full-size CL newspaper box cake by BOTB All-Star The Cake Girl.
Thanks to the roughly 2,000 of you who came out in that rain to party alongside some of the best restaurants and bars in town—there’s no Best of the Bay without you.
If you couldn’t come, please stay tuned for announcements on a pair of no-cover Best of the Bay “hangover” parties where you can pick up your award, take a picture, and meet new friends.
In 2026, CL readers cast roughly 1.6 million votes and selected winners and finalists in 555 categories. Our writers picked 128 critics awards. New this year are 37 honorees in the inaugural Best of the Bay All-Stars, which recognizes individuals and/or institutions that’ve won a shitload of awards over the years and made indelible positive contributions to the cultural fabric of the Bay area.
This article appears in Oct. 08 – 14, 2026.
