Florida's unpredictable weather is claiming another victim — the Gasparilla Music Festival.
In a statement put out on the event's website Thurday, organizers shared their decision to postpone the Feb. 14-16, 2025 event at Julian B Lane Riverfront Park in Tampa due to “financial strain caused by two consecutive years of extreme weather conditions that were beyond our control.”
“The challenges of the past two years have put a tremendous financial strain on our Foundation, and by choosing to recoup our losses now, we aim to protect our ability to produce a high-quality event that you and our community can be proud of. We are committed to using this time to re-evaluate, recover, and begin planning for our next exciting and successful festival.”
See the full statement here.
Organizers of the 13-year-old nonprofit festival tell Creative Loafing that storms that cancelled headliners on the first day of the 2023 festival, followed by two days of storms and colder temperatures during the 2024 event, were the main reasons for the postponement.
But they added that they're looking for a new date for the festival.
“This isn't the end of GMF at all,” Festival Executive Director David Cox told Creative Loafing. “An entire generation of Tampeños has grown up at this festival, and we just want to make sure GMF is the kind of festival that our kids’ will take their own children to.”
The group has already started processing ticket refunds, and hopes to have those completed in the next 7-14 days.
The Gasparilla Music Foundation, which organizes the music festival, was founded in 2011 with financial support from many Tampa Bay area-based businesses and the organization’s founding members, The Ring of Fire.
Money raised by the festival funds the Foundation's music education efforts.
