Gasparilla 2023: Everything you need to know about the annual pirate festival

TAMPA, Florida. The 2023 Gasparilla Pirate Festival returns in January to invade Hillsborough Bay.

Grab your beads, suits and blindfolds and get ready for the 2023 Gasparilla Parade. The parades will impact parking and traffic, so here’s everything you need to know about the annual celebration.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa Gasparilla Pirate Fest 2023 starts on Saturday, January 28th.

Gasparilla Invasion: 11:30-13:00.

This year, Jose Gasparilla will sail south of Hillsborough Bay and continue north to Seddon Sound (the area between Davis Island and Harbor Island) before docking at the Tampa Convention Center.

Annual reenactment of Tampa’s historic invasion of the Gasparilla flotilla. The Gasparilla flotilla, led by Jose Gasparilla and the brave YMKG pirates, will dock at the Tampa Convention Center, where they have ordered Mayor Jane Castor to hand over the Key to the City to Captain Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla.

With the Key to the City in hand, the Krewe celebrate their victory in the Pirate Parade on Bayshore Boulevard.

The U.S. Coast Guard is asking anyone who chooses to go out on the water on Saturday to have safety equipment on board and have two means of emergency communication.

Parking: Parking will be available at the Tampa Convention Center and throughout downtown. Officials encourage participants to arrive early as the car park fills up quickly for the event.

Tickets: Free for everyone

Parade of Gasparilla: from 14:00 to 18:00.

To celebrate the capture of the city of Tampa, the captain and his Krewe share their opulence—shiny beads, treasures, and doubloons—with a lively, enthusiastic crowd throughout the 4.5-mile parade route.

The original Tampa Pirates make their way down historic Bayshore Boulevard into downtown Tampa amid colorful costumes and holiday music. The Gasparilla Pirate Parade boasts 103 elaborate floats, five marching bands, over 50 different Krewes, and of course, those infamous YMKG pirates!

The parade starts from Bay to Bay and Bayshore Boulevard. It continues along Bayshore Boulevard to Brorain Street, turning east onto Brorain Street, then north onto Ashley Drive. The parade ends at Cass Street and Ashley Drive.

Tickets: Free to the public. Reserved seats are available here.

Gasparilla Pirate Festival

The expanded Pirate Fest in 2023 will feature scenes along the waterfront in downtown Tampa, as well as live performances before and after the parade at Curtis Hickson Waterfront Park (Ashley and Twiggs) and McDill Park (Ashley and Whiting).

MACDILL PARK STAGE (98 ROCK):

• 10:00 – 11:30 DJ/STATION MUSIC
• 11:30 – 15:00 Sean Sheller and contenders
• 15:00 – 17:30 Pirate parade break
• 17:30 – 20:00 More means more

CURTIS HICKSON PARK SCENE

• 9:00 – 10:00 DJ / STATION MUSIC
• 10:00 – 15:00 Caliente Group
• 15:30 – 17:30 Pirate parade break
• 17:30 – 20:00 Sol Caribe

RECOMMENDED: Gasparilla Road Closing Times

PARKING

If you need help with parking, the City of Tampa has provided maps for where to park during the pirate holiday.

Click here for more information on parking.

ROAD CLOSED

TRANSPORT

TECO Line tram system

• Tram services are free
• Continuous tram service from 8:30 am to 2:00 am between Station #2 (Centro Ybor) and Station #10 (Dick Greco Plaza in downtown Tampa) and Station #3 and #4 are CLOSED from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
• Stations 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 will be closed until 14:00. Stations 1 and 11 will be closed all day.

HART bus service

• An all-day pass costs $4.00 and can be purchased in advance at HART outlets or on board buses on Gasparilla Day for cash (no change provided) or through the Flamingo Fares app. Passengers can also use their monthly bus pass. This rate does not include parking fees in the city of Tampa.
• For parking in Ybor City, HART will provide a FREE shuttle bus service between Norman/Ybor City and downtown Tampa (Dick Greco Plaza) continuously from 9:30 am to 7:00 pm.
• For parking at the Port Authority Garage, HART will provide a FREE shuttle bus service to and from Station 10 (Dick Greco Plaza) continuously from 9:30 am to 7:00 pm.

Getting to Downtown Tampa on HART

• From the University District: Routes 1*, 5, 6, 9, 12, 400 MetroRapid
• From Temple Terrace: route 6.
• From Brandon: Routes 8, 360LX*
• From West Tampa/Citrus Park: Route 7*
• From South Tampa: Lines 19*, 360LX*.
• From Tampa International: Lines 10*, 30*

Detours

*Lines 1,7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 19, 30, 400 (Metro Rapid) and 360LX will be bypassed during the holidays.

HUMID AREAS

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronicler said adults who have reached the age of majority and decide to drink should do so responsibly and in designated “wet areas” that are located along the parade route and in Curtis Hickson Waterfront Park.

“During such major events, our deputies are very careful. They’re not here to arrest anyone. They are here to protect everyone. They are here to protect the crowd,” he said. “Please don’t be that girl or that guy who makes them do their job.”