Covered seats, open lawn
The BayCare Sound splits its crowd two ways. About 4,000 covered seats sit closest to the stage, and a lawn behind them holds about 5,000 more under open sky. Lawn tickets usually cost less and come with the full Florida weather experience. A premium rooftop looks over the venue and out across Clearwater Harbor.
From bandshell to amphitheater
The venue opened in June 2023 with a free concert, the centerpiece of an $84 million makeover of Coachman Park on the downtown waterfront. The amphitheater itself cost roughly $38 million. The City of Clearwater owns it and hired Ruth Eckerd Hall to manage it, and BayCare Health System holds the naming rights.
Before the rebuild, the park had a smaller bandshell. Now it is 19 acres of green space with a playground and a splash pad around the stage, and the Clearwater Jazz Holiday is held here in the fall. Goo Goo Dolls, Ringo Starr, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, T-Pain and Goose have all played it, and dance music nights have been some of its biggest draws. Pollstar ranked it third among amphitheaters worldwide in 2025.
Parking downtown
Downtown Clearwater typically has about 2,000 parking spaces, and a full house here is about 9,000 people. Do the math and leave early. The closest lot is the Coachman Park and Harbor Marina lot under the Memorial Causeway Bridge on Pierce Street. The Garden Avenue Garage and the Station Square garage on Laura Street are a few blocks away. For large shows, the city has set a flat event rate that starts two hours before showtime.
Ferry, trolley or bike
- Ferry. The Clearwater Ferry has run extended schedules for concerts, linking downtown, Clearwater Beach and downtown Dunedin.
- Trolley. The city's free downtown trolley has made stops near the park.
- Bike. The Pinellas Trail and the Memorial Causeway Trail both reach the waterfront.
If you are staying on Clearwater Beach, the ferry beats weekend traffic on the Memorial Causeway.
Weather
From June through September, check the radar before you go. Covered seats stay dry and the lawn does not.
Dance nights here show up on the electronic calendar. The same team runs Ruth Eckerd Hall, and every area date is on the St. Pete and Clearwater page.
