ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is bringing a new level of excitement to Tampa Bay this weekend as the international competition makes its Florida debut at the St. Pete Pier.
The event, which features elite athletes diving from heights of up to 90 feet, is expected to draw large crowds and provide a significant economic boost to downtown St. Petersburg businesses during the typically slower summer tourism season.
The team with Visit St. Pete Clearwater says the competition is expected to serve as a significant economic driver for businesses in the surrounding area.
While major events such as the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg provide traditional television exposure, tourism leaders believe cliff diving will be big for social media attention, creating a different type of promotional value for the city.
Red Bull has previously hosted large-scale events in the Tampa Bay area, including Flugtag in Tampa in 2024, which attracted approximately 80,000 spectators. Officials expect strong attendance for the cliff-diving competition as well.
Other locations on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2026 circuit include Denmark and Indonesia.
Some local businesses are already seeing the impact. Crusin’ Tikis, a party boat company operating near the pier, reported being mostly booked for the weekend because of the event.
“I think with the hot weather the city plans fewer events,” said Trevor Burnett of Crusin’ Tikis. “The more we can bring in these big events that people love to come see, the better it’s going to be for the city.”
Preliminary rounds are scheduled for Friday, with the main competition taking place on Saturday at the St. Pete Pier.