Tampa Bay Black Heritage Music Fest Weekend

Tampa’s Black Heritage Music Fest is set for a two-day run at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26, with gates opening at noon both days. (tampablackheritage.org) The festival’s official site lists 600 North Ashley Drive as the location and says tickets are on sale in three tiers: general admission, preferred seating, and VIP. The City of Tampa calendar lists Saturday’s event window as 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. and marks it as in-person only. (tampablackheritage.org) (tampa.gov) Saturday’s lineup is billed around R&B, funk and Southern soul, with Rick James Stone City Band, Tina P & Friends, Trill 6attle, Piarry and Oriol on the festival schedule. Sunday shifts to neo-soul, jazz and gospel with Althea Rene, Stokley, LeoNell, Teape and Sarasota Slim. (tampablackheritage.org) (1015vibe.com) Beyond the stage, organizers are advertising food vendors, arts and crafts, Black-owned businesses and family activities across the weekend. The official festival page also lists line dancing, a drum circle, giveaways and vendor booths as part of the on-site programming. (tampa.gov) (tampablackheritage.org) The event lands on Tampa’s downtown riverfront at a time when Curtis Hixon is already serving as one of the city’s busiest festival grounds. That’s So Tampa included the music fest in its April 20 weekend guide, and Visit Tampa Bay lists this year’s edition as the 26th annual festival. (thatssotampa.com) (visittampabay.com) City and tourism listings frame the weekend as both an entertainment event and a community showcase, with local businesses and cultural programming sharing space with national and regional performers. Sponsor lists published by Visit Tampa Bay and 101.5 The Vibe include Publix, the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County and GTE Financial. (visittampabay.com) (1015vibe.com) Recent promotions have also added a public-health component. 101.5 The Vibe says the festival will offer free health screenings alongside the music, food and shopping. (1015vibe.com) For people planning to go, the clearest through line is simple: two afternoons and evenings of live music downtown, with different genre focuses each day and a marketplace built around local vendors. Tickets remain available through the festival’s official site ahead of the April 25 opening. (tampablackheritage.org)