Music in and near Tampa, FL

The long and storied history of music in the Big Guava includes tales of early blues and jazz and bands that defined heavy metal of the ‘80s, so it’s no surprise that Tampa concerts run the gamut of genre and size. One of the biggest events of the city’s musical year is the Tampa Bay Blues Festival, paying tribute to the birthplace of Tampa Red with lineups including the likes of Buddy Guy, George Thorogood, and Taj Mahal since 1995. Other things to do in Tampa include plenty of entries in the festival scene, with rock and hip-hop taking the spotlight at the Big Guava Music Festival, EDM at the Sunset Musica Festival, and a whole lot of everything at MidFlorida Amphitheatre’s season-long Summer Concert Series.