March comes in like a lion this year … and it’ll go out like a lion as well. There’s just no lamb involved.
This is one busy month for onstage entertainment in the Tampa Bay area. It happens every March – perhaps the old folk saying should be amended to this: March comes in like a roaring auto race, and goes out like a major metropolitan area with a vibrant, top-to-bottom arts scene.
Let’s pick out a few highlights:
A rare appearance from folk music iconoclast Michelle Shocked March 6 at the Jack Kerouac House;
British new wave pioneer Gary Numan March 8 at Jannus Live;
Jobsite Theater’s take on The Shark is Broken (March 11-April 4), Ian Shaw’s behind-the-scenes play about the making of Jaws, at the Straz Center Shimberg Playhouse;
An all-female adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, by Roxanne Fay, March 12-22 at The Studio@620;
At Vinoy Park March 12-15, the hot-as-a-pistol Reggae Rise-Up Festival;
The return of British comedy legend Eddie Izzard with their acclaimed one-person show The Tragedy of Hamlet, March 13 and 14 at the Straz Center’s Jaeb Theatre;
March 13-15 is St. Patrick’s Day weekend – St. Pete’s Williams Park plays host to the Paddy Fest celebration, while Tampa dyes the Hillsborough River a becoming shade of green for the occasion (River o’Green Festival);
Country music mega-star Zach Bryan at Raymond James Stadium March 14;
Singer, songwriter, pianist and producer John Legend, 13-time Grammy winner, at Ruth Eckerd Hall March 18;
American Stage’s 2026 “park” production, Into the Woods, opens at Demens Landing and will run through April 26.
Concerts
March 1 Alicia Witt at the Murray Theatre
March 2 Al Jardine & the Pet Sounds Band at the Capitol Theatre
March 3 Jake Shimabukuro at the Capitol Theatre
March 4 Gregorian at the Capitol Theatre
March 5 Billy Ocean at Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 5 Justin Furstenfeld at the Capitol Theatre
March 6 Pink Martini at the Mahaffey Theater
March 6 Shovels & Rope at Skipper’s Smokehouse
March 6 Little River Band, Lords of 52nd St at the BayCare Sound
March 6 Michelle Shocked at the Jack Kerouac House
March 7 Taj Farrant at the Capitol Theatre
March 7 Piano Stomp at the Palladium Theater
March 7 Bret Michaels, Tesla at the BayCare Sound
March 8 Gary Numan at Jannus Live
March 9 (11 a.m.) Roger Day (free kids show) at the BayCare Sound
March 9 Paul Anka at Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 10 Ron Pope at the Capitol Theatre
March 10 Simon Phillips Protocol at Central Park Performing Arts Center
March 10 Passerine at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
March 11 Wishbone Ash at Central Park Performing Arts Center
March 11 Home Free at the Capitol Theatre
March 11 Charley Crockett at Seminole Hard Rock Event Center
March 11 Lari Basilio at Straz Center/Jaeb Theatre
March 12 Vernonica Swift at the Palladium Side Door Cabaret
March 13 Matt Rife at Benchmark International Arena
March 13 Ed Woltil & Kirk Adams at the Palladium Side Door Cabaret
March 14 Gino Vanelli at the Capitol Theatre
March 14 Zach Bryan at Raymond James Stadium
March 14 Sean Chambers at the Palladium Side Door Cabaret
March 15 Yonder Mountain String Band at Central Park Performing Arts Center
March 15 Listening Room at the Palladium Theater
March 16 Pat Metheny at the Capitol Theatre
John Legend: March 18 at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Photo: Live Nation.
March 18 John Legend at Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 18 Wayne Newton at Seminole Hard Rock Event Center
March 19 Masters of Illusion (magic show) at Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 19 98 Rock Fest at the Capitol Theatre
March 20 Magic Rocks (magic show) at the Mahaffey Theater
March 20 Smithereens with John Cowsill at Central Park Performing Arts Center
March 21 Joe Bonamassa at the BayCare Sound
March 21 Diana Ross at Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 21 Suzy Bogguss at Central Park Performing Arts Center
March 22 Beth Hart at Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 22 Classic Albums Live “Purple Rain” at the Capitol Theatre
March 22 Anne Wilson at Straz Center/Morsani Hall
March 23 Don McLean at the Capitol Theatre
March 24 Peter Asher at the Palladium Theater
March 24 Ruthie Foster at Safety Harbor Art & Music Center
March 24 Temptations & Four Tops at Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 25 Celtic Woman at Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 26 Michael Kaeshammer at the Palladium Side Door Cabaret
March 26 Beach Boys at Seminole Hard Rock Event Center
March 27 Albert Castiglia at the Palladium Side Door Cabaret
March 27 & 28 Dancing With the Stars Live at Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 29 Alan Parsons Live Project at the BayCare Sound
Theater
March 5-15 The Drawer Boy at The Off-Central, St. Petersburg
March 6-22 My Name is Asher Lev at Stageworks Theatre, Tampa
March 11-April 5 The Shark is Broken at Jobsite Theatre, Tampa
March 12-22 Julius Caesar at The Studio@620, St. Petersburg
March 19: Dawn Truax in Genius, Madness and Murder: Tales of the Scandalous Family of John Wilkes Booth at Stageworks Theatre, Tampa
March 24-April 4 Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen, Broadway tour at the Straz Center/Morsani Hall
March 27 American Stage’s outdoor production of Into the Woods opens at Demens Landing Park
March 28 Actor Norbert Leo Butz’ one man show at Central Park Performing Arts Center
Classical music
March 5: Classical Guitar with René Izquierdo at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg
March 11 The Florida Orchestra’s Sing Out Tampa Bay at the Mahaffey Theater
March 13 & 14 The Florida Orchestra Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at Straz Center/Morsani Hall
March 17 Reflections Chamber Ensemble with Ghadeer Abaido at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center
March 19 Fulton Chamber Players at the Dali Museum
March 21 & 22 The Florida Orchestra’s Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony at the Mahaffey Theater
March 25 Chamber Series at the Palladium Theater
March 27 The Florida Orchestra Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Straz Center/Morsani Hall
March 28 & 29 The Florida Orchestra Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the Mahaffey Theater
March 29 Celebrating World Piano Day with the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center
Reggae Rise-Up returns to Vinoy Park March 12-15. File photo.
Festivals
March 3-8 Gasparilla Film Festival (various locations, Tampa)
March 5 St. Pete Community Festival at Azalea Park
March 5-7 International Folk Fair at England Brothers Park
March 12-15 Reggae Rise-Up at Vinoy Park
March 13-15 Paddy Fest at Williams Park
March 14 River o’Green Fest, Curtis Hixon Park (Tampa)
March 21 Country in the Park at England Brothers Park
March 28 & 29 Mainsail Art Festival in Vinoy Park
Dance
March 5 Sleeping Beauty at the Mahaffey Theater
March 6 Beacon Dance at the Palladium Theater
Comedy
March 3-8 Batsu at the Straz Center/Jaeb Theatre
March 4 The Naked Magicians at the Straz Center/Ferguson Hall
March 7 Matteo Lane at the Mahaffey Theater
March 13 Paula Poundstone at the Capitol Theatre
Eddie Izzard brings “The Tragedy of Hamlet” to the Jaeb Theatre March 13 and 14. Publicity photo.
March 13 & 14 Eddie Izzard’s The Tragedy of Hamlet at Straz Center/Jaeb Theatre
March 14 Darci Lunn & Friends at the Straz Center/Ferguson Hall
March 15 Gary Gulman at the Capitol Theatre
March 20 Dusty Slay at the Capitol Theatre
March 20 Cristella Alonzo at Straz Center/Jaeb Theatre
March 22 Martin Lawrence at Seminole Hard Rock Event Center
March 23 Whose Live is it Anyway at Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 27 Katt Williams at Benchmark International Arena
Websites
Central Park Performing Arts Center
James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg
New Tampa Performing Arts Center
Palladium Theater/Side Door Cabaret
Ruth Eckerd Hall/BayCareSound/Murray Theatre
Safety Harbor Art & Music Center
Seminole Hard Rock Event Center
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