Advertisement

Coronavirus: Event cancellations in Tampa Bay

We will update this list as we know more.
 
Fans dance and cheer in the crowd as Zion I, The Grouch and Eligh perform on the main stage at Reggae Rise Up  Festival at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg in 2017. The event has been canceled due to coronavirus.
Fans dance and cheer in the crowd as Zion I, The Grouch and Eligh perform on the main stage at Reggae Rise Up Festival at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg in 2017. The event has been canceled due to coronavirus.
Published March 12, 2020|Updated March 18, 2020

Coronavirus outbreak stories are free to read as a public service at tampabay.com/coronavirus. Sign up for our DayStarter newsletter to receive updates weekday mornings. If this coverage is important to you, consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Tampa Bay Times at tampabay.com/subscribe.

In the wake of the World Health Organization officially declaring coronavirus a pandemic, concerts and events have been canceled or postponed amid travel restrictions and increasing health warnings. Here are some of the major events that have been postponed or canceled in Tampa Bay and Florida. The table below has the most recent updates. You may use it to sort or search for events. If your event has been affected, let us know at calendar@tampabay.com.

More information about selected events is below.

CONCERTS

Jannus Live concerts: Three concerts at Jannus Live have been postponed: Silverstein on March 14, Dance Gavin Dance on March 27 and Circa Survive on March 28. The tours expect to reschedule, though no new dates have been set. Click here and here for details.

Against Me!: The Gainesville punk group tweeted that they will be postponing its March and April shows, including a sold-out March 27 concert at Crowbar in Ybor City. “I sincerely apologize for this,” tweeted singer Laura Jane Grace. “Not at all what we wanted to happen.”

The Birthday Massacre: A publicist for the metal band said by email that their spring tour, including an April 3 concert at the Orpheum in Ybor City, is being postponed. Click here for details.

Josh Groban: The singer tweeted Thursday night that he is postponing his March 16 performance at Ruth Eckerd Hall and is “working hard to find new dates to come back to Florida and do this right.”

Mayhem: The Decibel Tour, with Mayhem, Abbath and more, which was scheduled to hit the Ritz Ybor on March 31, has been canceled. Refunds are available at point of purchase. Click here for details.

Jannus Live concerts: Two concerts at Jannus Live have been postponed: Dance Gavin Dance on March 27 and Circa Survive on March 28. Both tours expect to reschedule, though no new dates have been set. Click here and here for details.

Ruth Eckerd Hall: The venue is rapidly postponing events there and at the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre and elsewhere. They’ve established a website with ticket refund and exchange information, as well as the latest affected shows as they are announced. Among those added Friday: Jill Scott, Bruce Hornsby, Graham Nash, Frankie Valli and Patton Oswalt. Click here for an updated list.

Kenny Chesney: The country superstar has postponed the start of his 2020 Chillaxification Tour, including a May 9 stop at Raymond James Stadium.

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines

Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter

We’ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Cher: The iconic singer has pushed back her March 26 concert at Amalie Arena due to concerns over COVID-19, or coronavirus. The show will now take place Sept. 8, and tickets for the March date will be honored. Refunds are available at point of purchase. Click here for details.

2020 Reggae Rise Up: The festival, which was to bring Damian Marley, Dirty Heads and Slightly Stoopid to Vinoy Park March 20-22, has been postponed until Oct. 2-4, according to a statement from organizers. There will be no refunds.

Art Garfunkel: The legendary singer has postponed his concert Saturday at the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre in Clearwater. No reason was given, and a new date has not been set, although tickets for the show will be honored at the future concert. Click here for details.

Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge: As a result of campus activities being canceled at the USF, Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge have canceled their March 14 concert at USF in Tampa.

Sarasota Jazz Festival: The 40th annual festival, scheduled to resume this weekend with performers like the Manhattan Transfer and Dick Hyman, has been canceled. Click here for details.

America: The band America, famed for ’70s hits like Sister Golden Hair and A Horse With No Name, postponed a concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on March 20. They hope to reschedule the show soon.

Reverend Horton Heat and Trae Pierce and the T-Stones.: Saturday’s Alzheimer’s Music Fest at Skipper’s Smokehouse in Tampa has been postponed “due to the current situation of the coronavirus,” organizers announced in an email. “We just want to make sure everyone is safe and stays in good health.”

Yes: The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have canceled a handful of U.S. concerts, including a March 22 date at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Openers Alan Parsons Project had been scheduled to keep the date, but that show has now been postponed, too. Click here for info.

Itzhak Perlman: The famed violinist and pianist Rohan De Silva have postponed their March 21 concert at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall i n Sarasota “due to current travel precautions.” The show will now take place on March 8, 2021. Tickets to the old date will be honored. Click here for details.

David Foster: The artist has postponed his March 24 concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater “due to an unexpected medical procedure.” The show has been rescheduled for Jan. 29, 2021.

Dirty Knobs: The band, featuring the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell, rescheduled their spring tour, which included an April stop at the Orpheum in Tampa’s Ybor City, due to “health issues.” The concert will now take place Sept. 9.

John Mayall: The British blues legend John Mayall postponed Wednesday’s show at the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre until Dec. 16. A venue spokeswoman said the move was due to a health issue, but not coronavirus.

STAGE

Straz Center For the Performing Arts: The performing arts hall has canceled all performances, classes and events through April 19. “Patrons should hold onto their tickets. We will reschedule as many events as possible,” the center said in a news release.

Florida Orchestra: The following concerts have been canceled or postponed: March 20-22, Bach’s St. John Passion Masterworks concert, canceled; March 25 and 26, Bright Side of Beethoven Coffee concert, canceled; March 27-29, Broadway Pops concert, canceled; March 28, Peter and the Wolf Storytime Series, postponed; March 29, String Trio Woodson Chamber Series, postponed; April 3-5, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Masterworks concert, canceled; Week of community chamber concerts at hospitals, Tampa International Airport, ZooTampa and R.E. Olds Park, canceled.

Palladium events: Some events at St. Petersburg’s Palladium have been postponed, including a Listening Room Festival showcase, pushed from March 27 to Nov. 13. Others have been canceled, like lectures by Todd May on March 16 and William Burke-White on March 22, and comic Earl David Reed on April 4.

Freefall Theatre, Jobsite Theater, American Stage and Stageworks have canceled all of their productions.

Martin Lawrence: The comedian’s LIT AF Tour, scheduled for March 12 at Tampa’s Yuengling Center has been postponed, citing the University of South Florida’s decision to postpone or cancel all university-sponsored events on its campuses for the next 30 days. The rescheduled date is to be determined; more information will follow. Ticket holders are asked to hold onto their tickets as they will be valid for the new date.

Howie Mandel: Comic and America’s Got Talent personality Howie Mandel, who was scheduled to perform at the Hard Rock in Tampa on March 21. Mandel has been postponed his show, although no new date has been set.

Patton Oswalt: The comic’s April 11 show at the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre in Clearwater has been postponed to a date yet to be determined. Same with numerous other Ruth Eckerd Hall shows. Click here for the latest.

Daymond John: The Shark Tank personality, author and entrepreneur has postponed his Tampa Theatre speaking engagement from March 16 to a date to be determined. Click here.

Anne Applebaum: The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historian’s March 25 appearance at the Tampa Theatre has been canceled “due to travel-related circumstances beyond our control,” the venue wrote in a statement.

80 Days: Live Oak Theatre postponed 80 Days, its original musical adaptation of the Jules Verne classic, Around the World in 80 Days. Originally scheduled for weekends March 20-April 5, it will now be May 1-17 at Carol & Frank Morsani Center for the Arts, 21030 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville. Tickets are $20 adults, $5 ages 13 and younger (with paid adult). Call (352) 593-0027 or visit liveoaktheatre.org

SPORTS

Saturday Night Brawl IV: The event, presented by Alessi Promotions on March 28 has been postponed. The event was to be held at the Yuengling Center on the campus of USF is consistent with USF’s decision to postpone or cancel all university-sponsored events on its campuses for the next 30 days. The reschedule date is to be determined; and more information will follow. Ticket holders are asked to hold onto their tickets as they will be valid for the new date.

Tampa Bay Rays and MLB: Major League Baseball has suspended spring training games and delayed the start of the regular season at least two weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Opening day was originally slated for two weeks from today, March 26, with the Rays set to host the Pirates at Tropicana Field.

Saint Leo University: All fall and winter sports activities are suspended indefinitely. In addition, no fans will be permitted at the Acrobatics & Tumbling home events. All classes will be online beginning March 16. saintleo.edu/coronavirus.

Tampa Bay Lightning: The NHL has followed the NBA’s example and suspended the season indefinitely.

Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: After previously reassuring the public the event was “still a go,” the race itself has been canceled. Previous plans called for the race to go but without fans in attendance. The IndyCar Series made the announcement at 11:37 a.m. on Friday, three and a half hours after practice for the event began

Valspar Championship: The PGA tournament at Innisbrook and all its surrounding events, including a concert Saturday by Chris Young, has been canceled.

NCAA March Madness basketball tournament: The NCAA has canceled all men’s and women’s basketball tournaments ― aka March Madness ― and all spring sports championships. That elimates next week’s first round games at Amalie Arena, along with sweeping number of other college sports.

Related: Fans waited two years for NCAA tournament in Tampa. Now it's gone.

Rowdies: Following Major League Soccer, the United Soccer League (to which the Tampa Bay Rowdies belong) has also suspended play for a minimum of 30 days.

FESTIVALS

Chasco Fiesta: The annual 10-day Native American-themed festival in downtown New Port Richey is being postponed. The festival was scheduled to run March 27 to April 4. "This is a decision not taken lightly by the city or the committee, but it seemed the responsible thing to do,'' said City Council member Peter Altman, a member of Chasco’s executive committee. The committee hopes to reschedule the event in the late summer or fall.

Land O’ Lakes Music Festival: The annual music fest scheduled for March 21 at Heritage Park has been postponed, according to the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the event.

Chili Blaze: Pinellas Park’s annual Chili Blaze scheduled for March 20 and the annual Country in the Park scheduled for March 21 have been canceled following the governor’s announcement regarding mass gatherings.

Brooksville Blueberry Festival: The annual festival, scheduled for April 25 and 26 in Hernando Park, has been cancelled. “We will contact vendors and sponsors regarding refunds/rollovers,” says a post on the group’s Facebook page.

Tampa Pride 2020: The event originally planned at Ybor City’s Cuban Club for March 28 has been postponed to May 30.

Gasparilla International Film Festival: The festival, scheduled for March 17-22, has been postponed. “The board is exploring all options that will allow us to bring powerful and engaging independent film to the Tampa Bay area when concerns around COVID-19 have subsided," Tammy Briant Spratling, president of the festival’s board of directors, said in a statement. "Tickets for the festival will be honored on the new dates, when announced.

Listening Room Festival: The St. Petersburg-based Listening Room Network, which connects touring musicians with homeowners eager to host concerts in their houses, has postponed its March Listening Room Festival — which was to feature 25 house, office and public concerts, including a March 27 showcase at the Palladium — until November. And that’s not counting the hundreds of additional house concerts nationwide that will also be canceled. “This is a massive blow to the music industry,” said founder Fran Snyder. Click here for details.

Tarpon Springs Fine Arts Festival: Scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Craig Park, the juried art festival has been postponed with no new date set announced.

Tampa Bay AirFest: The festival popular with airplane fans at MacDill Air Force Base that was scheduled for the weekend of March 28-29 has been postponed. No alternative dates were announced.

St. Patrick’s Day festivals: Tampa’s traditional St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the River O’ Green festival, scheduled to take place downtown on Saturday, has been postponed in light of the coronavirus outbreak, city and county officials announced at a meeting Thursday. No new date has been set. Also the Krewe of Rough Riders, which for 40 years has held a St. Patrick’s Day night parade in Ybor City, has also nixed Saturday’s parade.

FOOD AND DRINK

Bern’s Steak House: Tampa’s iconic restaurant is open for business, but it is pausing all kitchen and wine cellar tours. “We are working on ways to adapt our traditional service to limit person-to-person contact without sacrificing attention to our guests,” owner and president David Laxer said in a statement. “However, we also understand that you might feel more comfortable eating at home.”

Dunedin Seafood Festival: The annual event, planned for downtown Dunedin on March 21, is postponed. A new date has not yet been announced. dunedinseafoodfestival.com.

Hunahpu’s Day 2020: Cigar City Brewing’s wildly popular annual release of Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout, held for more than a decade for Tampa Bay Beer Week, has been canceled. It was to have been held Friday at Amalie Arena. The brewery is offering a $100 refund for this year’s festival or a ticket to next year’s festival and four bottles of Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout for the 2021 festival. Bottle pickup will be extended through June 30 at the brewery.

Jewish Food Festival: Temple Beth David was set to host the 25th annual fest in Spring Hill on March 22, but it was postponed. A new date has not yet been announced. (352) 686-7034. tbdfl.org.

Taste of North Tampa: The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce announced it is cancelling all events through April 17, including its popular Taste of North Tampa Bay on March 29 and the North Tampa Bay Chamber/Pasco-Hernando State College distinguished women’s leadership breakfast on March 24.

Brews With Attitude: Pepin Distributing Company has canceled the 10th annual beer festival, scheduled for April 16 at TPepin’s Hospitality Centre in Tampa. “After careful consultation with various members of our community and our team, regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry — we have made the difficult decision to cancel #BrewsWithAttitude Beer Fest,” reads a March 12 announcement posted to the company’s Facebook page. “Any ticket purchases will be fully refunded through Event Live.” Click here.

ARTS

Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, The Dalí Museum and the Tampa Museum of Art are temporarily closed to the public.

The Ringling Museum has canceled all programs, events, performances and guided tours through April 6. The art museum, circus museum and first floor of the Ca’ d’Zan will remain open. The museum is asking guests to purchase their tickets online prior to arrival and enter through the E-ticket check-in line with a printed ticket, or a ticket displayed on a mobile device. “The safety and well-being of our staff, volunteers, and visitors is always our highest priority.”

Duncan McClellan Gallery will be closed during St. Petersburg’s Second Saturday Art Walk from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, but will be open during the day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

USA Acrylic Painters: The reception and awards ceremony for the exhibition scheduled for March 27 at University of Tampa’s Scarfone/Hartley Gallery has been postponed until June 19.

Second Saturday ArtWalk Trolley: The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance decided to cancel the free trolley that carts folks throughout five arts districts for March 13. Some galleries on the tour have also decided to close that evening. Find an updated list at stpeteartsalliance.org.

Abstract Art for Autism and Special Abilities: The opening reception and fundraiser for Studio duVoe on March 21 has been postponed until further notice.

Florida CraftArt: The gallery’s Mural Tours are still going on as planned this weekend but the St. Petersburg gallery will be shutting down for the rest of the month starting Sunday.

MISCELLANEOUS

Florida’s Largest Home Show: The event, scheduled for March 20-22 at the Florida State Fairgrounds, has been postponed. Click here for details.

Spacecraft Launch: The traveling, interactive art space made from two shipping containers canceled Saturday’s launch and ribbon cutting event, but regular programming will resume on March 16, at Oldsmar City Hall, 100 State St. explorespacecraft.com.

Record Store Day: Record Store Day, a global celebration of independent music retailers that typically includes events at most local record shops, has pushed its 2020 event from April 18 to June 20.

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure: A sold-out, 35th-anniversary screening of the film attended by star Paul Reubens had been scheduled for March 13 at the Tampa Theatre, but is now postponed to a date yet to be determined. Click here for details.

Mutt Madness: Suncoast Animal League announced its 14th Annual Mutt Madness and 11th Annual Ride 4 the Animals are postponed. They were scheduled for this Saturday at Highlander Park in Dunedin.

Barbara Bergren: The author, lecturer and Holocaust educator’s book talk, “Witness For My Father,” at the Florida Holocaust Museum on Sunday has been postponed, although the museum remains open. No reschedule date has been set. The museum said they were continuing to monitor the situation and to check their website for updates to their programming schedule.

Southeastern Guide Dogs Walkathon: Southeastern Guide Dogs canceled their 3K walk and festival set for 10 a.m. March 21 on the St. Petersburg waterfront.

Evening of Dreams: Academy Prep’s event honoring Lynne and Chuck Stamey which was set for March 28 is postponed until Sept. 25.

New York Yankees Luncheon: The fundraiser event for the Boys and Girls Club of Tampa Bay which was set for March 18 has been canceled.

Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: The event previously scheduled for March 26 has been rescheduled for Aug. 28.

Princess Bride: parkCINEMA has canceled their screening for March 13.

Bookstore1Sarasota: The bookstore has canceled the following events and is working with authors to reschedule them: Craig Pittman (Cat Tale), March 14; Pat Averbach (Resurrecting Rain), March 15; Randy Wayne White (FINS), April 3; Suncoast Local Book Fair, March 28-29. sarasotabooks.com/

City of Tampa Senior Centers: The city of Tampa has closed David M. Barksdale Active Older Adult Center, 1801 N. Lincoln Ave. and Ragan Community Center, 1200 E. Lake Ave. Additionally, the city announced Friday the cancellation of all senior programs at any city park and recreation facilities, including all centers and pools.

Hillsborough County libraries. Libraries remain open during normal hours, according to the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, but all programs, events, and meeting room use are canceled for March 13-April 13.

St. Petersburg Museum of History. The museum is closed and will repone April 1. The business office will remain open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., (727) 894-1052, ext. 200, and the archival staff will be available via phone or email Wednesdays and Saturdays, (727) 894-1052 ext. 203 or archives@spmoh.org.

• • •

Tampa Bay Times coronavirus guide

Q&A: The latest and all your questions answered.

PROTECT YOURSELF: Household cleaners can kill the virus on most surfaces, including your phone screen.

BE PREPARED: Guidelines for essentials to keep in your home should you have to stay inside.

STOCK UP YOUR PANTRY: Foods that should always be in your kitchen, for emergencies and everyday life.

FACE MASKS: They offer some protection, but studies debate their effectiveness.

WORKPLACE RISK: A list of five things employers could be doing to help curb the spread of the disease.

READER BEWARE: Look out for bad information as false claims are spreading online.

We’re working hard to bring you the latest news on coronavirus in Florida. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you haven’t already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription.