Four smiling individuals stand together for a group portrait in front of a dark red stage curtain. A large logo above them features a globe and a banner that reads "NEW WORLD." The person on the far right gives a hand gesture, while a white keyboard and the headstock of a bass guitar are visible in the foregroundWhale Feral Credit: c/o WMNF Live Music Showcase

Some people believe that whatever you do on New Year’s Day will carry over into the entire year, so why not ring in 2026 with a free concert in the park?

The Tampa Downtown Partnership’s monthly showcase of homegrown talent is in its 16th year and kicks off the year with Whale Feral. The rock quartet—which plays WMNF Tampa’s Live Music Showcase the next day—is almost 12 months removed from its latest LP, Word’s We Can’t Read, which just got a deluxe reissue that includes a live recording of the album.

St. Petersburg producer Bauxmonk—who just released his AftrDinnr_9 beat tape—is also on the bill along with expat Tampa songwriter Max Norton.

There’s no cover for Rock the Park Tampa happening Thursday, Jan. 1 at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.

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This article appears in Dec. 25 – 31, 2025.

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Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief…
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