How to plan your best day ever at the Gasparilla Music Festival 2024!

The Gasparilla Music Festival returns for a two-day celebration at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park from February 16-18, 2024! This family-friendly event is a weekend filled with amazing live music, local dining, and so much more. 

As we recommend every year, bring the kids for a music festival experience during the day and then return later in the evening while the kids enjoy the night with a babysitter! This event is one of our favorite things to do to close out the final weekend of April!

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To help you navigate your day, we’re dishing on all the details including the festival’s origins, the concert line-up, and more. So. let’s get to it, friends!

What is Gasparilla Music Festival?

The annual music fest is put on by the Gasparilla Music Foundation, a Florida 501(c)-3 non-profit corporation that supports music education through its Recycled Tunes program. The mission of Recycled Tunes is to enrich the lives of underserved and impoverished children in Tampa Bay by ensuring access to musical instruments. They also give students performance opportunities on the festival stages in front of large crowds.

Related: Gasparilla Music Festival’s Impact: The gift of music through Recycled Tunes

GMF launched in 2012 in Downtown Tampa. This year’s festival will take place in Julain B. Lane Riverfront Park from February 16-18, 2024 featuring musical acts from a wide variety of genres on several stages and cuisine from the region’s top restaurants, along with a Soundcheck Party (date TBD).

Tickets and Details

When: February 16-18, 2024
Where: Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 N. Boulevard, Tampa, 33607
Cost: General admission one-day tickets are $45, two-day tickets are $75, and three-day tickets are $95. VIP one-day tickets are $125, two-day tickets are $200, and three-day are $250.

VIP tickets include VIP entrance into the festival, front of stage viewing areas at Riverside and Fortune Stages, access to exclusive VIP tents and bars, air-conditioned and attended VIP restrooms and RFID Wristband. You can purchase tickets at gasparillamusic.com.

NEW this year – the 2024 Gasparilla FAM Pass. This all-in-one pass gives you access to Gasparilla Music Fest, Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, and Gasparilla International Film Festival. FAM Passes range from $250-$500.

You can also purchase GMF merchandise here. Produced by the non-profit Gasparilla Music Foundation, GMF proceeds support music education in Bay area schools.

• Re-entry is allowed once you received your wristband.
• Wristbands must be worn at all times.
• Ticket and entry are voided if wristband is removed.
• Rain or Shine.
• No Refunds.
• All artists and times subject to change or cancellation.

GMF Kids’ Fest

Bringing kids along? While GMF may be geared more toward adults at night, kids can also enjoy the festival – especially during the GMF Kids’ Fest on Sunday, February 18 from 1:00-4:00 pm.

Featured activities in the Kids Fest this year will include:

• Kids Fest Stage with children-focused DJ entertainment (DJ Kitty is confirmed!)
• Kids t-shirt tie-dying
• Instrument Petting Zoo staffed by Hillsborough County Music Teachers
• Kumba Drummers hands-on tent
• Kids’ Arts & Crafts featuring music-related items to take home
• Face painters
• Hula hoops
• Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (performing on Riverside Stage)
• Hillsborough County Schools Drumline and Flag Corp

Across from Kids Fest will be the Recycled Tunes area where you can check out a sculpture using old musical instruments created by a local artist.

Gasparilla Music Festival 2024 Lineup

Here is the confirmed lineup. You can view the official schedule here. 

Friday, February 16 – Festival Day One

• Louis the Child
• Big Gigantic
• Surf Mesa
• Aidan Bissett
• Pusha Preme
• Parrotfish
• DJ Sandman
• Aych & Friends
• Golden Era
• Side Trako
• Alien House
• Judyanne Jackson
• Shelby Bond
• Entertainment Review
• Silent Disco

Saturday, February 17 – Festival Day Two

• Young the Giant
• Coin
• Trevor Hall
• Digable Planets
• Beach Weather
• Rebirth Brass Band
• The Collection
• The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.
• Raspberry Pie
• Ashley Smith & The Random Occurance
• Madowoman
• Whataboutmomma
• Pet Lizard
• Divine AF
• Jenn Marsh
• Fil Pate
• Doug South
• Kaylee Marie
• Mt. Zion Gospel Choir

Sunday, February 18 – Festival Day Three

• Lake Street Drive
• Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
• Yonder Mountain String Band
• Eddie Roberts & The Lucky Strokes
• Roosevelt Collier’s Allstar Jam
• Steeln’ Peaches
• Kelsey Hickman
• Minim
• Shleby Sol
• Displace
• Vision Crystal
• Dawson Hollow
• Kayla Blackman
• Nick Ewing Duo
• Zeta the Babe
• Alleycat K
• Tampa Metro Youth Orchestra

The festival’s primary stages include the Riverfront Stage, Fortune Stage, Robert’s City Stage, and Row House stage. NEW this year – the Robert’s City Village, which will feature a marketplace, libations, and live art installations with an expanded Bike Valet service near the main entrance.

The festival will host its Silent Disco on Friday and Saturday nights and its family-friendly Kids Fest on Sunday starting at 1pm.

Where to park for the Gasparilla Music Festival

There are several downtown parking garages and parking lots along with metered spots, but you can also take a ride-share serve as well.

Recommended parking garages for Gasparilla Music Festival:

• • Poe Garage
  • Madison Garage
  • Fort Brooke Garage

Please see the Parking and Transportation page for more information.

Where to enter Gasparilla Music Festival 2024

If you’re wondering where to enter the event, here is a list of gates for each type of admission:

• General Admission Gate 1: located at the intersection of N. Boulevard and W. Cypress Street
• General Admission Gate 2: on Laurel Street just west of the Laurel Street Bridge
• VIP Ticket Holder Entrance: dedicated VIP Entry Lanes are located at the General Admission Gates.

GMF 2024 Food Lineup

In addition to amazing musical acts, GMF will also have a fantastic lineup of some of Tampa’s best restaurants to keep you going throughout the day at their Calle Cocina.

• Big Ray’s Fish Camp
• Big Red BBQ
• Cafe Hey
• Cena
• Coppertail Brewing Co.
• Inside the Box
• Kona Ice
• Loli’s Mexican Cravings
• Nebraska Mini Mart
• Shadrach’s Firey Furnace
• Stuft Gourmet Empanadas
• Whatever Pops

Visit gasparillamusic.com for the full lineup plus all of the Gasparilla Music Festival information you need to plan a music-filled weekend.

*This story was write-in collaboration with our media partners at tampabaydatenightguide.com. Cover photo by Caesar Carbajal – Gasparilla Music Festival Main Stage.