Not-So Sleepy Beach Town Grows To Meet Demand, Navigate Hurricane Season (Tampa Market Focus)

Tampa, Florida, has a thriving live entertainment scene with a diverse mix of professional teams, major venues and a growing fanbase in a destination city within easy reach of popular Gulf Coast beaches and amusement mecca Orlando.

In 2023, the city was home to 403,000 people, making it the third largest city in the state behind Jacksonville and Miami. When combined with nearby St. Petersburg and Clearwater, the Tampa Bay Area has 3.34 million residents. It is the 17th fastest growing market in the U.S. and the second fastest in Florida.

Sports and entertainment contribute significantly to Tampa’s $7 billion-plus tourism industry and visitors and residents have no shortage of options.

The Tampa Sports Authority (TSA) was created in 1965 with a mission of planning, developing and operating entertainment facilities to enhance the community and drive tourism. TSA manages Raymond James Stadium, three city golf courses and the Hillsborough County Tournament Sportsplex as well as being the landlord for George Steinbrenner Field and Amalie Arena, on behalf of Hillsborough County.

With a variety of venues under the TSA beach umbrella, the organization is positioned to foster economic growth and meet the evolving needs of athletes and spectators.

“What we see when we look at our data is that people aren’t coming for the show, they are coming for three to five days,” said Eric Hart, President and CEO of TSA. “You can get to so many attractions around us that it is more of a staycation, and we’ve been spending a lot of our efforts on trying to sell that message.”

Tours and tourists go hand-in-hand making Tampa an increasingly important stop.

“Fifteen or 20 years ago, it was optional,” explained Kevin Preast, the chief venue officer for Amalie Arena and Vinik Sports Group (VSG). “You had to route into the state. It’s a peninsula and you either lost a day coming into the state or lost a date coming out. Now, there are three of the largest cities in the country – Tampa, Orlando and Miami are all Top 20 markets. So, Florida can’t be ignored.”

The numbers back up the data. Raymond James Stadium, “Ray-Jay” to the locals, has sold out every show since 2019, according to Hart.

“We’re bringing in all these major shows, and the promoters and the agents are seeing that not only are we selling them out, but we’re getting some of the highest grosses and highest ATPs across the tour,” offered Hart. “Tampa used to be a sleepy little town but our socioeconomics have changed dramatically.”

The stadium, which is home to the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers, opened in 1998 and is known for its trademark 103-foot-long replica of a pirate ship in the north end zone that fires its cannons whenever the Bucs score. The stadium seats 65,000 but can accommodate up to 75,000 for major concert events. It is also used for the ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly Outback Bowl), Gasparilla Bowl and by the NCAA Division 1 University of South Florida Bulls football team.

The Buccaneers won Super Bowls in 2003 and 2021, when a near-retirement Tom Brady led the Bucs to a win at home for the Big Game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kenny Chesney was the biggest show at the stadium in 2024 with 60,529 tickets sold and a gross of $10,637,621 according to Pollstar data.

Since opening, Raymond James Stadium has undergone several renovations including replacing 50,000 seats in 2003 and a $160 million multi-phase renovation in 2016 that included high-definition video boards throughout the stadium, suite and club level upgrades and a new 17,000-square-foot locker room for the team.

Earlier this year, the Tampa Sports Authority commissioned a report on the stadium’s maintenance costs over the next 20 years. The Buccaneers’ current lease on the facility expires in 2028. The assessment is led by Populous, the stadium’s original architects, and slated to be released soon.

“We’ve got initial drafts, but as we believed going in, the building is actually really good structurally,” explained Hart. “And you can see that through the hurricane. We took a Cat 3 hurricane north of 110 miles per hour and we had no damage. The building is in great shape.”

Hurricanes are an annual concern with two late-season storms in 2024 causing damage in the region, but Raymond James Stadium has never canceled a show due to weather.

“We’ve had a little bit of luck when it comes to some of the hurricanes, but we work with promoters to book our shows prior to or just after our peak season for hurricanes,” Hart said.

Ticketing for most events, except Buccaneer and USF games, is handled by VSG, which was launched in 2020 by Jeff Vinik, chairman and governor of the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning. The team has been one of the NHL’s most successful franchises in recent years, winning the Stanley Cup in 2004, 2020 and 2021.

The arena opened in 1996 as the Ice Palace and has undergone multiple renovations and name changes until becoming Amalie Arena in 2014. The arena features one of the largest center-hung scoreboards in the NHL and two large Tesla coils blast lightning bolts when the team scores.

Seating ranges from 19,092 for hockey up to 21,500 for concerts and events. Major draws in 2024 included Drake, Bad Bunny and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which was the largest two shows last year with 26,289 tickets sold and a gross of $2,080,179 according to Pollstar data. On April 4-6, Amalie Arena will host the NCAA Women’s basketball Final Four, the city’s fourth run at the championship series (2008, 2015, 2019).

“With the emergence of women’s sports and our market absolutely exploding in size, it’s an exciting time,” Preast said. “We just set records for women’s volleyball national championships in December and now we are heading into this. Amazing things are coming.”

The arena has undergone several renovations including a $40 million renovation in 2011 to expand the main entry, update suites and VIP clubs and guest amenities including a new performance stage, outdoor deck, pavilion and box office. A $25 million facelift in 2016 focused on fan-facing upgrades, such as reconstructing the entire club level, adding a 140-seat loge and introducing new concessions and lounge areas. In 2024, The Lighting announced improvements including the installation of the largest exterior marquee display in Central Florida, upgrades to Ford Thunder Alley with the new Corona Bolts Bay, the opening of Market on Four featuring local eateries and suite improvements. The cost of the recent renovations was not disclosed.

The MLB Tampa Bay Rays round out the city’s professional sports trifecta. The team plays at Tropicana Field, which sustained significant damage during Hurricane Milton, which sheared off large sections of the roof flooding the interior.

Discussions about funding and timing are ongoing, but renovations are estimated to cost upwards of $56 million with a target of being completed by the start of the 2026 season. Tropicana Field was scheduled to be demolished after the 2028 season to make room for a new stadium. The project, called the Historic Gas Plant District, is expected to cost $1.3 billion and include a new stadium, residential and commercial space as well as an African American history museum.

In the meantime, the Rays will play their 2025 home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field with the regular season starting March 27 against the Colorado Rockies.

Steinbrenner Field, which has been the spring training facility of the New York Yankees since 1996, underwent renovations in 2011 and 2016 totaling $50 million to enhance player facilities, training areas and other operational needs. The venue is currently completing another extensive renovation, expected to be completed in March. Even though Steinbrenner Field is the Yankees’ spring training base through 2046, they will be the visiting team when they play the Rays on April 17-20 and Aug. 19-20.

The windowless training facilities have been replaced by an open floor plan that positions the indoor workout area, outdoor stretching area and recovery/medical/training areas next to each other. The old training room has been transformed into a multi-purpose space for team meetings and press conferences. Improvements have been made to the home clubhouse, playing areas and amenities including a barbershop and improvements to the visiting team clubhouse. Additional upgrades are planned for Field 2, where the Single-A Tampa Tarpons will play home games during the 2025 season.

On the soccer front, Tampa is in consideration for an MLS expansion team thanks to the city’s history with professional soccer including the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Vinik Sports Group also manages the Yuengling Center on the University of South Florida campus. The 10,400-cap venue, which opened as the USF Sun Dome in 1980, is home court for the USF Bulls Men’s and Women’s basketball and volleyball programs as well as concerts. According to Pollstar data, the venue hosted 19 events in 2024 with an average gross of $291,179.

On the concert front, Tampa is a strong market for country and rock, but Hart said they are seeing success across multiple genres.

“If you look at the event mix now, you can see it’s a very diverse group and we’re seeing success across almost every front,” he said.

“The secret’s out,” added Preast. “We’re not hiding anymore.”