I must be getting old. We see live music all the time, but in much smaller venues. We came to…read moresee Mumford & Sons because we love them, but this was overwhelming and so loud. Hard to believe this was our first visit to Benchmark, but it will be our last. My husband has height issues, so when he saw where our seats were, he was not a happy guy. That's on me, as I had no idea how steep the steps were when I bought the tickets. Next, the seats are so small. We are not big people, but there is no leg room, which makes it very uncomfortable after a short while. I wished I had brought ear plugs as the music was so excruciatingly loud, we couldn't hear each other for a while after we left. Mumford was fabulous and I'm glad I saw them again, but this venue is not for me.

This is a great venue and they are managed very well. I've been to various events here over the…read moreyears and experiences have all been positive. People traffic flow is well managed and I really appreciate the forethought in having standing tables spread throughout the facility. I can't recall another venue with a similar setup so you don't see many people trying to eat a meal while standing next to a trash can. I think we've all been there - but probably not at Benchmark. Kudos for the well designed common areas.

What a great venue and great bands this year. Loved all the rum drinks and vendors who were there…read more I hope next year they have more vendors. I would also ask that they move the big tent that was center stage back more so the crowd could sit there. Great event we are going back next year. Please bring band like Inner Circle, The Expendables - they were awesome, and Sublime with Rome killed it. Great Rum, Great Food, Great Music, And wonderful Smells. Thanks for such a great event 51 year old Big Fan

TLDR (2017 event) - poorly made drinks (and overpriced)…read more- very bad DJ - multiple technical failures (sound) - shaggy only came for the last hour - Most artists performed poorly - drinks not included in admission price - low mood atmosphere ( no dancing) - worst festival I have been at I was looking forward to the rum festival. After all it did sound amazing. However there were multiple issues that lead to the festival failures. The sound was terrible and the guys did an awful job at maintaining it. It would frequently drop out and completely shut off. Even shaggy got upset on stage and asked somebody to fix it. The drinks were an embarrassment to rum. Poorly mixed and prepared. How can you mess up mojitos so badly?! They used a prepared soda mix and threw in some rum (often over and under done). They topped it up with a single lime and called it a classic mojito?! Any bar in tampa serves them better. I tried some other rum drinks from different stalls but stopped as they were all doing the same bs. For the music it was horrendous. How did you find such a bad DJ who would shout in the microphone at the best parts of the songs? He mixed it horribly and sometimes cut it off randomly to go to the next part? I mean this was lower than amateur skill level. An amateur DJ would have performed better than that. Seriously how did you find that guy? He ruined the atmosphere of the festival. No one was dancing. I'm also disappointed with shaggy. You only sang part of the songs and spent too much time talking random bs which was also a little racist at times. Overall I wouldn't recommend going to this. There are so many better places with a better atmosphere during any day in tampa.

I have been to both years this event has been held and it is always a good time. I was lucky this…read moreyear to be in VIP out of the sun and also with unlimited free drinks. There were many food options and it wasn't too crowded early in the day. It was just entirely too hot. There were several beer selections and the cocktails were made with Deep Eddy Vodka. Yes, the name is a bit peculiar but the drinks were good. Bands were good and music wasn't too obnoxiously loud. Spring Beer Fling is a good time and another great reason to get together with friends and remember why we love Tampa and Curtis Hixon Park. Bring sunscreen!! Thanks Yelp, Brett, and Katie for my tickets!

This year, they decided at last minute to move the event from Vinoy park (on the water), to the…read morecoliseum. They decided due to weather, stating 70-80% chance of rain. The worst chance of rain according to weather forecast was 50%, but today (Friday before vent) sites are showing lower, one as low as 20%. At worst, it looks like there will be sporadic storms. The coliseum is a nice place, but it is no where near big enough for beer events, plus food, plus concerts. It will be cramped and loud......plus it is not a view of the water as Vinoy park has. I contacted Groupon (where I bought tickets) as well as the company through Facebook (Ticketf.ly). Groupon does not grant refunds for this type of change.....even though the tickets I bought clearly stated one venue vice another. When I asked Ticketf.ly on Facebook about a refund, they were kind enough to delete the post. I would recommend that anyone avoid tickets.ly, clearly they sold one thing, and intend to deliver another. We have 2 tickets at $17 each, so will not financially hurt us, but bait and switch is not acceptable. The event may be OK with a different coordinator, but done with tickets.ly. Give a refund when you change an event!

Today will be my first time visiting Raymond James Stadium (RJS) since the last NFL game in January…read more2026. So before I walk back through those gates, here's my review of the 2025-2026 NFL season at RJS. First, something to think about: I scrolled through the RJS reviews and couldn't find one -- not one -- response from the stadium to a reviewer. This is a massive venue hosting Buccaneers games, USF football, concerts and major events throughout the year. Yet, from what I could see, nobody is responding to the people actually attending these events. Makes you wonder: Do they even care what fans are saying? *PARKING* Every week it FEELS like they hired an entirely new parking staff. Only the lady that takes my payment - I recognize her and she is fun! Nobody seems to park people in the same place. Employees are yelling back and forth, pointing in different directions, and sometimes even shaking their heads like they're just as confused as everyone else. The parking fees are what they are. Some weeks you're paying around $50, and I've seen prices climb toward $75. Sometimes you're better off paying to park at somebody's house nearby and walking. Getting IN? Smooth. Of course it is -- they want your money and they'll find somewhere to park you! Getting OUT? GOOD LUCK! We've spent more than an hour sitting in the parking lot after games. Why? Because approximately 65,000 people are leaving at once, and pedestrians are allowed to walk everywhere. There doesn't seem to be an organized system of pedestrian lanes or traffic flow separating thousands of people walking from thousands of cars trying to leave. I have suggested they hire SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS. At times it looks like a scene from THE WALKING DEAD. People everywhere! It's chaotic, frustrating and, more importantly, it doesn't feel like the safest or most efficient way to move that many people out of one area. All the staff are gone! Fans have made suggestions. Hopefully one day RJS actually implements some of them. **STAFF There are simply too many different entities working these events. There are dozens of law-enforcement officers -- and YES, you definitely feel safe from that standpoint. But then you have RJS security, other security personnel, RJS event staff, NFL-related staff during football games, and what appears to be multiple temporary staffing companies. The problem? Too many people don't know the stadium OR the rules. Ask where something is and sometimes you might as well ask another fan. Here's my favorite: You walk toward the metal detectors and see instructions telling you to KEEP EVERYTHING IN YOUR HANDS as you walk through. Then there's another instruction nearby telling you to walk through while keeping items in your pockets. I CAN'T MAKE THIS UP. MY BIGGEST TIP: DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH! Memorize the stadium map. Seriously. Know your gate. Know your section. Know roughly where you're sitting. And knowing the surrounding Tampa streets doesn't hurt either. Watch what happens when you show some staff members your ticket. They're looking at the section and seat numbers trying to figure out where you're going right along with you! ANOTHER TIP: READ THE RULES BEFORE EVERY EVENT Different events can have different rules. For NFL games: YES -- neck fans are allowed today. Next week that could change. That has caused confusion before because different events can have different restrictions. And remember: NO SMOKING OR VAPING. NO CASH. NO BAGS unless they meet the permitted size/rules. And YES, IT'S HOT! You're in Tampa Bay. Bring a small towel to wipe the sweat. Bring a poncho because five minutes after sweating in the sunshine, Tampa may decide it's time for a thunderstorm. SO WHAT CAN YOU DO? Accept what you're getting into. A game-day experience can easily become 4-6 hours from arrival until you're finally heading home. Go to the bathroom before entering. Bring your towel. Bring your credit card. Charge your phone. Know where you're going. Get excited. Have fun! Let's go! And leave all the unnecessary crap in your car or at home. Most importantly: ENJOY THE MOMENT. You're there for football, family, friends and memories. I attend sporting events and I'll continue attending them. But I'll say this: I WILL NEVER -- EVER -- attend a concert at RJS, even with a free ticket. They have not changed the standard. If football traffic is this chaotic, I'm good! Raymond James Stadium is an iconic place and can be an incredible environment when it's packed. I just hope RJS eventually listens to the people who attend these events and makes some changes -- particularly with parking, traffic flow, consistency among staff and communication. Make the experience good enough that people don't just want to come for their team. Make them want to come back to Raymond James Stadium.

went to the bruno mars concert this past sat 09/12 one star…read morefor prices. coming fr chicago, stadium food and drink here is cheap. two stars for the stadium itself. what's not to love about an nfl stadium?! the negatives: purses?! saw many women walking around with purses way bigger than their "strict bag policy". i'm guessing depends who you go to at the entrance. i bought a tiny cheap janky wallet size crossbody that barely fit my lipgloss in (had to put it in at a diagonal) and cc and id. uber/lyft?!?? expect to wait legit minimum 2 hrs after to get one. Concert ended around 11PM. We didn't get a Lyft til literally 1:15AM! poor poor signage. we were all like wandering cattle trying to get one. i am completely anti drinking and driving, but tampa bay and raymond james stadium need to come together to organize lyft/uber better at the stadium. otherwise, you're going to have way more dui related accidents on your hands. would never come back if ubering/using lyft

What a fun event at the Tampa Museum of Art! Featuring performance art covering many genres, I…read morewished I could've cloned myself to see everything. With so many rotating acts, I feel like I missed a lot performances, but I certainly enjoyed what I saw. I was also glad the upstairs galleries were open and I spent quite a bit of time quietly wandering among the art exhibits on the second floor. This was my first year attending GASP!, thanks to receiving General Admission tickets from Yelp in their Instagram contest. Parking was simple & plentiful in the Poe Garage, and quite reasonably priced ($1.20 per hour). Tables were easy to find, conveniently set up between the Glazier Children's Museum & the Tampa Museum of Art, so picking up our wristbands was a quick process. I was also delighted to run into Savitre & her husband Justin before we made our way onto the plaza. Hubs immediately gravitated to the band at the far end of the plaza, as they were playing Led Zeppelin. Based on when we arrived, I think that was Jim Chambers Music Box presents Sick Hot, and I thought they were excellent as well. We waited in a short line for drinks at the outside bar; I decided to start with the St Pete Mule for $10. Then we watched Air-Earth-Fire-Water on the slope for a few minutes before going inside to get some food at Sono Café. The food selection was embarrassing. A few pieces of toast for $3, and several slices of cheese for $5; they had been prepared ahead of time & were sitting out on the counter for who knows how long. The only other food available was paella, maybe two full serving spoons on a small plate, for $7. As we were starving, and expecting Sono Café / Mise En Place to offer more options suitable for dinner, we went with paella. It was definitely tasty but not warm. I visited the inside bar twice during the night, choosing a beer for $7 each time. First, I enjoyed Lagunitas' Sumpin' Easy pale ale, and then I had their Aunt Sally ale (https://lagunitas.com/beer/sumpin-easy & http://lagunitas.com/beer/aunt-sally). Both were outstanding! The bartender was very pleasant & cheerful, even at the end of the night. Upstairs, the exhibits were open & I enjoyed browsing through the galleries. In the baseball gallery, I ran into Brian & his date, and then Alicia with her friend. After a few minutes of chatting, I continued wandering, and also enjoyed the upstairs patio gallery overlooking the Hillsborough River & University of Tampa. Now that I know what to expect, if I go to GASP! again, I would probably make a loose plan around what I knew I wanted to see. While I enjoyed the performances I serendipitously discovered, several times I found myself in the atrium or Words & Music Room between acts when nothing was happening. Further, viewing was difficult in the atrium, as the crowd was quite large all night so this short gal couldn't see much, and viewing from the staircase was not permitted. Given the $25 admission, pricey drinks, and pathetic food offerings, I'm unsure I'll attend next year.

I had no idea what this was all about as I walked up from Ashley St to the Tampa Museum of…read moreArt.....honestly, I was just confused.... Walked up to the long table, got my wristband and looked at the program and learned that there were many different things to see..... The first thing I did was walk inside and check out what was inside and what was there....there were people everywhere, inside and out and settled into the "Frankie and Gianni: A mini-rock opera" and it was very entertaining and quite good. Frankie, (Colleen Cherry), played Lizzie in that show last year at the Straz, I recognized her. After that I went to watch some Irish dancing in the North Atrium for a bit. Then walked to the Slope to watch Air-Earth-Fire-Water and I'll say that was quite interesting, but enjoyed it as well. Then, stopped at the TPAlove booth for a photo opp, which never did come through on the website to get... Then, went back inside and watched 8 amazing young people share from their perspective in the Spoken Word segment - this was so great to see, very intense. Then watched the belly dancers ("Hip Expressions") in the North Atrium and to end the night watched the improv dancing ("Moving Current structured improv) in the same space. I also was able to take a little time to walk upstairs to see some of the exhibits. I enjoyed the entire evening. I did not eat or drink anything there so I can't comment on that. This was quite an interesting event, I had never heard of it before and am glad I was able to experience it.

The parking for this event was bad. I understand that I should of parked in the designated parking…read morearea and took the water shuttle but wasn't told that until after I was in the event. Two parking attendants told me to park in Winn Dixie parking lot (full and taped off) and CVS (notorious for towing cars in their parking lot). With the negative out of the way this was great family event that we enjoyed thoroughly. It was a free event that was great to just walk around and let the kids play in the splash area, watch the pig races, check out the boats and see a good band play on stage. The real fun is in the food. You had to buy tickets which were dollar for dollar. All the food vendors had stuff they were great at which makes it difficult to really choose ur favorite. Fresh lemonade, fresh made fruit juices and heathy BBQ options were there for the people who want that option. You can also shop as there were other vendors selling everything from sundresses to hot sauce. I had to try the sauces and ended up buying a "hot lava" sauce that is not only hot but tasty. The event overall was very good. Of course it was extremely hot but hey it's Florida.

As a Phillies fan, BayCare Ballpark is a pretty awesome spot. Not a bad seat in the place, easy to…read moreget around, and you're close enough to the field that you actually feel part of the game. Only knock on the day--we got a little spooked by the threat of a big rainstorm and left like a bunch of rookies getting sent down to play A ball. It is a great ballpark, hopefully can visit again next year and stay for a whole game!

This place holds great family friendly events. We went tonight, 7/3/26, for a Threshers game, $10…read moreall you can eat burgers hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream sandwiches, drinks (non-alcoholic), and chips, and spectacular fireworks! What a deal!

Why 5 Stars? Great Organized event, fun family times, fun circus acts and stepping back in time…read morewhere clowns weren't creepy but fun to be around. My wife, my son and I stopped in to the Egypt Shriners Festival on the last day of the event and had a blast. We both reminisce about how this was what we grew up with. Small town like circus with those 'thrill' rides that a carnival brings. No frills, just fun spin around type rides. I still didn't trust the ferris wheel though enough to ride it! Overall it's like stepping back in time in a good way. We started the event by visiting the petting zoo. They had several things like goats, weird looking cows and a zebra or two. The highlight had to be feeding the Giraffe which is my son's favorite animal. After the petting zoo, we went on to see the circus acts. It was a full 3-4 hour extravaganza of various tight wire acts, daredevil skills and dancing. At the intermission the kids were allowed to take pictures and get autographs from the Shriner clowns. Carnival food by the Shriners was also good and reasonably priced. We did a couple of things that we shouldn't eat like deep fried oreos, and yum! We also tried a hamburger and fries. Typical on point carnival food served by friendly people. Most of the people working the circus (like the shriners) are most likely all volunteers. Everyone was so nice and it was good to be a part of something that gives back to the local community. We may have to start making this an annual family Tampa tradition.

We had a great time at the 2016 Shriners circus. We love the new venue inside a/c at the…read morefairgrounds. We were amazed by the stunt motorcyclists and a lot of the other acts. The Shriners do a great job of dressing up as clowns, signing autographs and making the kids laugh between acts. We also bought tickets for the rides and the kids had a ball. Ride Tickets and games are cash only. Circus tickets are $20 adults and $10 children. I was happy to support this event as our local Shriners do so much for our community. There's one more circus performance tonight at 7:30. There are a few tomorrow (Sunday 4/17/2016) at 1:30 and 4:30. For $2, kids can buy a program/coloring book with the clowns trading cards in it and an entry to win a bike. Our friend won one, which was great!