The 47th Clearwater Jazz Holiday runs Thursday October 15 through Sunday October 18, 2026 at Coachman Park and The BayCare Sound in downtown Clearwater. Headliners are Chris Botti (Thursday), Sheila E. and Arturo Sandoval (Friday), Larkin Poe and Big Sam's Funky Nation (Saturday), and The Wood Brothers with Dumpstaphunk (Sunday). Main-lawn general admission starts at $39 plus fees per night, kids under 12 get on the Green free with a ticketed adult, and the Plaza and Pier Party side stages and the Sunset Bluff are free.
Key takeaways
- Dates: Thursday to Sunday, October 15 to 18, 2026. Gates open at 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
- Venue: Coachman Park, 300 Cleveland St, with the main stage at The BayCare Sound amphitheater (4,000 covered seats plus a 5,000-person lawn) on the downtown Clearwater waterfront, about 2 miles and a 10 minute drive or a Jolley Trolley ride from Clearwater Beach.
- Cheapest ticket: Main Lawn general admission, $39 to $44 plus fees per night. Reserved seats run $59 to $64, premium reserved $94 to $104, VIP $174 to $224.
- Free: the Lower Plaza and Surfside Pier Party side stages and the Sunset Bluff lawn, which has a relaxed view of the park and no cover charge.
- Chairs and blankets (6 by 8 feet max) are allowed only on the Sunset Bluff and the GA-on-the-Green areas. Reserved sections have seats.
- Rain or shine, no refunds. Artists are subject to change; confirm at clearwaterjazz.com the week of.
The 2026 lineup by night
Each night has a different feel, which is the festival's whole design: contemporary jazz on Thursday, Latin jazz and funk on Friday, roots rock and New Orleans brass on Saturday, and Americana with a Sly Stone tribute to close. Headliner set times below are for the Tampa Bay Times main stage as published in early September; the festival warns that artists are subject to change.
| Night | Gates | Support | Headliner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct 15 | 4:00 p.m. | Kim Waters, Jeff Kashiwa and Steve Oliver, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. | Chris Botti, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. |
| Friday, Oct 16 | 4:00 p.m. | Arturo Sandoval, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. | Sheila E. and The E-Train, 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Oct 17 | 3:30 p.m. | Big Sam's Funky Nation, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. | Larkin Poe, 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, Oct 18 | 3:30 p.m. | Dumpstaphunk Plays Sly, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. | The Wood Brothers, 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. |
Side-stage acts on the VSPC Plaza Stage in the Lower Plaza and on the Surfside Pier Party Stage run from gates until the headliners, and the CJH Youth Allstars from the festival's education program open the Plaza Stage at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The full side-stage schedule is on the festival's lineup page.
Tickets: what each tier actually gets you
Prices below are the festival's published 2026 single-night prices before fees. Multi-day options (a Saturday-Sunday weekend pass, a 4-day pass, and a 2-day flex pass that lets you pick your nights) are sold on the same page and are the better value if you plan on two or more nights.
| Ticket | Where you sit | 2026 price (plus fees) |
|---|---|---|
| Main Lawn general admission | Open lawn in front of The BayCare Sound stage; bring a chair or blanket in the GA-on-the-Green area | $39 to $44 |
| Reserved seating | Sections 101, 201, 202, 203; a seat with your name on it | $59 to $64 |
| Premium reserved | Closer sections 101, 102, 202, 203 | $94 to $104 |
| VIP reserved | Sections 101 and 102, front of house | $174 to $224 |
| VIP table of 4 (new for 2026) | Section 103 table seating | $804 to $848 per table |
| ADA reserved | Sections 101 and 201 | $59 to $224 |
| Sunset Bluff and side stages | Park lawn with a park view, Lower Plaza, Pier Party stage | Free |
Where you land in each range depends on the night and on single-night versus package pricing; the ticket page shows the exact figure per night. Buy at clearwaterjazz.com. ADA seats in every tier are sold by phone through Etix at 1-800-514-3849 or the festival office at 727-461-5200.
The Sunset Bluff lawn and the two side stages cost nothing and put you inside the festival with food vendors and the harbor sunset; chairs are allowed on the bluff but not at the side stages. The bluff sits up behind the reserved sections with a long view down to the stage, so you hear the headliner well and watch from a distance. For a family that wants the atmosphere without $160 in tickets, this is the move.
Getting there from Clearwater Beach
Coachman Park sits at the mainland end of the Memorial Causeway, a straight shot from the beach roundabout. On festival nights that 10 minute drive becomes 25 as the causeway backs up around 6 p.m., and the downtown garages fill. Three practical options:
- Jolley Trolley. The Coastal route connects the beach and downtown Clearwater for $2.25 a ride, kids 8 and under free. Day passes are no longer sold on board; the Flamingo Fares app caps a day at $5. Get off at Garden Avenue and Park Street or at Osceola and Cleveland, both a few blocks from the park. Sunday through Thursday the route stops running around 9:30 p.m., too early for the Thursday and Sunday headliners; Friday and Saturday it runs past midnight.
- Rideshare. Uber and Lyft from a beach hotel to Coachman Park is a short fare outside of the post-show surge. Walk a few blocks east on Cleveland Street before requesting the ride home.
- Drive early. Lot 11 on Pierce Street (156 spaces, $2.25 an hour until 6 p.m.) is closest and goes first. The Garden Avenue garage at 28 N Garden Ave (250 spaces) is free after 6 p.m. on weekdays and all weekend, the Municipal Services garage on Pierce Street has 283 spaces, and the county garage at 310 Court St has 498. Arriving before gates open is the only reliable way to park within a few blocks.
If you are coming from farther away, the Tampa to Clearwater Beach guide and the Orlando drive guide cover the routes into town.
What to bring and what to expect
- A low-back chair or a blanket no bigger than 6 by 8 feet if you are on the Sunset Bluff or in the GA-on-the-Green area. Reserved and VIP sections are seated.
- A light layer. Mid-October evenings on the water drop into the upper 60s after the headliner starts.
- A card. Vendors have been cashless in recent years.
- A small bag. Bags over 12 by 6 by 12 inches, coolers, outside food and drink, umbrellas, tents, and cameras with detachable lenses are all on the prohibited list, and everything gets checked at the gate. Re-entry is allowed.
- Patience at the end of the night. The causeway and the garages clear slowly; the Jolley Trolley and a slow walk to a bar on Cleveland Street both beat sitting in the exit line.
Making a beach weekend of it
Jazz Holiday weekend is one of the best weeks of the year to be at Clearwater Beach: the Gulf is still close to 80 degrees, the summer storms are over, and hotel rates have dropped from the summer peak. A typical plan is beach mornings, a late lunch, and the causeway into downtown by 5 p.m. The fall visit guide covers October weather in detail, the hotel guide has the beachfront picks, and the happy hour guide is useful for the hours between the beach and the trolley.
Rooms on the beach for the Friday and Saturday of Jazz Holiday sell out earlier than an ordinary October weekend. Book by late September.
Friday is the night to build the trip around: sunset is right around 7 p.m., as Arturo Sandoval walks on, and Sheila E. follows at 9. Get inside by 6 p.m. to stake out a spot.
Frequently asked questions
Thursday October 15 through Sunday October 18, 2026 at Coachman Park and The BayCare Sound, 300 Cleveland Street, downtown Clearwater. Gates open at 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with headliners finishing between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m.
Partly. The Lower Plaza and Surfside Pier Party side stages and the Sunset Bluff lawn are free with no cover. Main-stage shows require a ticket, starting at $39 plus fees for main-lawn general admission, and kids under 12 get on the Green free with a ticketed adult.
Chris Botti on Thursday, Sheila E. and The E-Train on Friday (with Arturo Sandoval), Larkin Poe on Saturday (with Big Sam's Funky Nation), and The Wood Brothers on Sunday (with Dumpstaphunk playing Sly Stone). Artists are subject to change.
Only on the Sunset Bluff and in the GA-on-the-Green area of the main lawn. Reserved, premium, and VIP sections are seated. Blankets follow the same rule.
About two miles across the Memorial Causeway: 10 minutes by car on a normal evening, closer to 25 on festival nights. The Jolley Trolley and rideshare both avoid the parking problem downtown.
The festival is rain or shine and all sales are final. Weather delays or cancellations are announced on the festival's social accounts and by email. Mid-October is past the daily-storm season, so delays are uncommon.
Sources
Coming for Jazz Holiday?
October is one of the best months on the Gulf. These guides will fill the daylight hours.
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