Tampa kicked off the first unofficial month of spring with plenty of musical entertainment. Our social calendar was booked in March with exciting events – in case you missed it.
The month of March started off on a musical note in Tampa with Josh Groban performing on March 1 at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Groban, the top-selling classical artist of the early millennium, captivated an audience of approximately 2,100 in Clearwater’s premiere music hall with his stunning vocals and classical tunes.
The Harlem Globetrotters brought their world-famous acrobatic tricks and dunking skills to Amalie Arena in Downtown Tampa on March 2. Families from all over Tampa gathered in the arena to watch the Globetrotters take on the Washington Generals and to witness a night of trick shots, slam dunks, and iconic Harlem flare. Fans were able to join the Globetrotters after the game for autographs, photographs, and high-fives with the players.
The first weekend of March brought the first music festival of the spring season. Tampa radio station WiLD 94.1 held its annual WiLD Splash hip-hop music festival in Coachman Park, Clearwater on March 5. Crowds flocked to the park to hear the various styles of the headlining artists including Lil Wayne, Yo Gotti, Fabolous, Lil Dicky, JR Castro, Kodak Black, and Dougie F. The event began with a pre-party at Club Skye on Friday night and ended with an after-party at the same venue on Saturday night.
Musical March continued to carry its tune into the middle of the month. On March 13, Rihanna performed in front of tens of thousands of fans at Amalie Arena as part of her Anti World Tour. Fans danced and sang along all night to the international pop star’s latest hits from her new album ANTI, like “Work” and “FourFiveSeconds.” Rihanna released her album in late January after a long wait filled with rumored release dates and much anticipation. Her latest single, “Work,” features the arguably more famous R&B/Hip Hop/Pop star Drake. While Drake did not appear on stage with Rihanna at her concert, another breakout Hip Hop star did. Travi$ Scott, straight off the success of his debut studio album Rodeo, joined Rihanna for the show, and will accompany her for the entire North American leg of the tour.
For those Tampa music lovers who did not buy tickets to the Rihanna concert, the Gasparilla Music Festival provided musical entertainment on Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13. Festival attendees watched musical acts perform on five different stages. The performers included Erykah Badu, MS MR, and Talib Kweli.
As the month of March came to an end, Cirque Du Soleil took flight at Amalie Arena from March 17-20 for its TORUK: The First Flight tour inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar. The circus-style event dazzled audiences with spectacular acrobatics and choreography.
Things are heating up in Tampa as we step into spring. March delivered the jams, but with warmer weather fast approaching, concert and festival season will be in full swing. April will bring more excitement to Tampa – in case you missed it.
