Panther Island Pavilion

I attended the 4th of July Festival at Panther Pavilion in downtown Fort Worth. The space was decent in size and handled the crowd fairly well, considering how many people showed up for the event. It was definitely a family-friendly environment, with plenty of families enjoying the day. There were a lot of attendees, so it did get a bit crowded in certain areas, but overall, it was manageable. Staff were present and helped direct people and answer questions, which was appreciated. It wasn’t anything over-the-top, but it was a solid experience for a holiday outing. A good spot if you're looking for a laid-back celebration with community vibe. There were food vendors present only during events. The park normally doesn't have food or water accessible.

The sound was great, but MAN was the policy to get in STRICT. NO open tabacco or nicotine products were allowed at all. Saw sooo many people who waited in line have to throw away their vapes, cigarettes or dips or get back in line if they opted to put them in their car. Would have been nice to have seen that on the website beforehand.

Panther Island Pavilion: The Swampy, Glorious Kingdom of Rave Mayhem Listen. If Panther Island Pavilion was a person, it’d be that weirdly hot outdoorsy friend who smells vaguely like sunscreen and bass. A little wild, a little muddy, but somehow always knows how to throw an absolutely unhinged yet somehow luxurious party. After Ubbi Dubbi 2025, I’m ready to carve Panther Island’s name into a glitter heart on my hydroflask. Was it flawless? No. Was it iconic? Absolutely. 🏞️ The Venue Vibes ✔️ Location: Smack dab in Fort Worth, but still feels like you stumbled onto a secret bass temple built by chaotic woodland creatures with a lighting budget. ✔️ Scenery: Grass, waterfront views, and skyline silhouettes that hit just right during golden hour. Perfect for group pics, dramatic outfit reveals, and sitting in a field contemplating your life mid-set. ✔️ Layout: Long walks between stages? Yes. But also? Room to breathe, dance, flop dramatically, or sprint toward your friends in slow motion. The space was used smartly and didn’t feel like a human sardine can, which is rare. ✔️ Sound bleed? Minimal. Stage placement actually made sense. Even the VIP viewing decks were vibey little oases. ✔️ Accessibility: Could it be smoother? Always. But water stations were everywhere, signage was readable (bless), and shaded chill zones didn’t feel like afterthoughts. 🚨 Real Talk: The Pain Points ✖️ The Parking Trek: If your rave outfit doesn’t include a pair of endurance socks and a battle strategy, good luck. Getting from your car to the gates was a journey of personal growth. ✖️ Post-festival legs: The venue is flat but expansive — and your calves will remember it. Wear comfy shoes or suffer. ✖️ Food Prices: This isn’t exclusive to Panther Island, but worth noting: I paid $18 for war-crime nachos that tasted like betrayal. BYO snacks if you can (or pregame your wallet with a will). ✖️ Shade: Better than years past, but could always use more “let me hide under this and contemplate existence” spots. 💡 Panther Survival Pro Tips (From Your Favorite Bass Goblin) → Invest in VIP (especially here). The elevated views, cleaner bathrooms, and staff that genuinely want you to live are worth every wristband dollar. → Hydrate or teleport. Panther Island had great water station access this year, so use it. Bring your own reusable cup or hydration pack — save your wallet and your soul. → Plan your exit. Getting out of the parking lot was shockingly smooth, but don’t roll the dice. Scope your exit path before you’re bass-drunk and sun-fried. → Respect the land. This place lets thousands of us weirdos dance under the stars — don’t trash it. Glitter responsibly and pack out what you pack in. 💫 Final Word: Panther Island Pavilion is not perfect, but it's perfect for this. It’s a venue built for sweaty, euphoric chaos—with just enough luxury, space, and soul to elevate the madness into magic. Whether you’re in it for the music, the outfits, or the emotional support port-a-potty mirror in VIP, Panther delivers a festival backdrop that holds the vibe and your glitter-crusted heart. Would I go back? Already packing. 9/10 sparkly swamp stars. Just bring good shoes, a full CamelBak, and a sense of adventure.

It's an amazing place to spend the 4th of July. Fireworks were amazing. BUT... Be the last one to exit the area and move close to the exit before the fireworks end or be the very last one to exit, especially if you have little ones, seniors, pregnant women or disabled person with you. The crowd will end up in a bottleneck trying to exit through a single water-bridge/pontoon bridge. Kids were crying, people were getting squished, and some got a little freak out because they were claustrophobic. I'm just letting you know and making you picture it. But we had a great time. You can't bring snacks, but there were lots of free snacks there and a variety of food trucks. Corn dogs $10, mini pizzas $15, corn in the cob $5. They will check your backpack.

Great plVe to go for a walk and hang out with friends. Can go fishing in the river too!

Ok for outdoor events but certainly a pain in Texas heat/humidity. Parking is always an issue. Can't trust GPS to take one to the parking line or entrance. Wish they would spray the grass and mow it days prior to events.

Very nice area to walk around. Lots of joggers and bicyclists

Panther Island Pavilion in Fort Worth is a hidden gem nestled along the Trinity River and is the perfect venue for various events, including the enchanting Water Lantern Festival. The ambiance at the festival is truly magical, with thousands of lanterns floating on the water, creating a mesmerizing display that is sure to captivate anyone's heart. In addition to the stunning lanterns, the festival also features a variety of food trucks offering delicious and diverse culinary options. From savory street tacos to sweet treats, there is something for every palate to enjoy while exploring the festival grounds. For those looking to create a memorable and romantic date night, Panther Island Pavilion and the Water Lantern Festival offer a unique and unforgettable experience. The combination of the picturesque setting, serene atmosphere, and abundance of activities make it an ideal spot for couples to connect and create lasting memories together. Overall, Panther Island Pavilion and the Water Lantern Festival in Fort Worth provide a perfect blend of beauty, entertainment, and charm that is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who attends. It is a must-visit destination for those seeking a magical and enchanting experience in the heart of Texas.

STEPH JUDGMENT: Pleasant park-like venue for concerts/festivals. Came here for the NOFX final Punk in Drublic tour and we had a blast! We got dropped off in the parking lot by our Lyft about 30 minutes before the gates opened and had a short walk to where a pretty substantial line had already formed. Staff came by to do ID checks and distribute wrist bands for alcohol, and the entry was smooth and efficient. We headed to the beer tents and spent the next couple of hours doing tastings before the music started. I was glad the day was kind of cool and overcast, as there wasn't a ton of shade or seating in the beer tents area. There was a lone park bench that we were lucky enough to grab for a while. Once the music started we moved over to the stage area, which had an expansive lawn, and locals in the know were prepared with blankets. Alas, we weren't as prepared, but thankfully the grass was not bad to lounge on sans blankets. There were plenty of food vendors and portapotties, as well as picnic tables, and the sound was pretty good. After the show we thought it'd be too chaotic to try calling a car right at the venue, so we walked out about half mile to a Taco Bell to call a car (and get a snack), and it looked like a lot of other people had the same idea. It worked out well, though, and we give our Panther Island experience a thumbs up, despite the fact that it wasn't an island and there were no panthers.

We went for the lantern festival which was amazing. It was the most beautiful intimate thing we've done all year. We had a great time enjoying drawing on out lanterns and releasing them into the river. This is something everyone should experience.

Went to the tacos and tequila festival, and it was fun. I am giving a one star review because there were no water refilling stations, and that is absolutely unacceptable. $5 for a bottle of water. This festival was from 2pm to 11pm with a high of 95 and no cloud coverage. Water is a basic necessity like bathrooms. Do better.

I saw Tiesto here and it was amazing!!!! He was so gooood live! The venue is outdoor, well maintained. Plenty of parking and reasonable parking prices $10 in 2021. Sound was also good. Screen was big enough and could see from anywhere. I walked around but majority spent in VIP middle left front and I saw him so close

I have been here quite a few times now to float or for a music venue. The area is generally always very clean. You can bring your own drinks and food to hang out. If you're looking for something fun outdoors and free. This is it.

Decent venue. I came here for Ubbi Dubbi 22. I have seen Excision around DFW 5 times now. Sound Quality: 2/5 Visual Quality: 4/5 Organization: 1/5 This performance was by far the worst sound production I have heard by Excision, and unfortunately the most I have paid to go to his concert too. The area was nice, parking was abysmal. Expect to walk A LOT here.

Came here for a Cinco De Mayo celebration party. For $35, you got all you can eat tacos. There was limited street parking nearby but they had an event lot where you could pay $10 for parking. There were plenty of port-a-potties and hand sanitizer. The tacos were wonderful. 14 vendors were serving multiple tacos. All the taco vendors were outside in the heat. There was a bar beside the entrance to the tent. The tent had a voting booth, drink stand, and benches for people to sit. Not that many seats. I will gladly return next year.

The Panther Island Pavilion is the perfect venue for a Punk Rock concert. We attended the Punk In Drublic in May. Our hotel shuttled us over to the concert, which took about 10 minutes. They had it setup with a VIP section on one side of stage, as well as a section to stand in front of stage. It's on a slight hill so you can also chill on the grass (be sure to bring a blanket). So you basically had a great view at all times. We had a good time, enjoying craft beer and some yummy eats from several food trucks that were setup. As well as people watching and listening to good music. As the sun set it made for a beautiful backdrop overlooking a small pond/ lake.

I always enjoy running here... The set up is nice. The expos are small, but not too overwhelming. The sponsors are always friendly and understand what a runner needs. Even with the heavy traffic on race days it is still easy to navigate.

[Read if you have the time:] Fort Worth makes a big deal about this Panther Island, so we came by for 4th of July. Turns out it wasn't what we expected it to be but rather a money making event. The fireworks was amazing but the vendors sells overpriced food, water and especially toys which you buy for $20 during the event then $5 at the end of the event which is ridiculous for a plastic sword that just glows LED Christmas lights inside. One of my friends also told me that one of the toy seller was being racist because they were Mexican and told them once they buy the toy they cannot go back in. Lining up for a food truck takes you an hour to stand in line and what I noticed to some of those vendors is that their register does accept credit card and apple pay but instead deactivates it and makes money by cash. Although, the guy who was selling at the funnel cake was nice to give me a $2 off discount after a beetle bug flew into my shirt. The VIP is not worth it at all, we were almost gonna buy the Coors VIP pass because it was the only available ticket but we insisted because of our instinct. The results are, they're VIP is very clusterphobic and you don't get to lay down or put your nice drinks somewhere, but no, instead you stick your arm with someone else sticky sweaty arms instead. You're only paying for the view for $60 and parking benefits, not going to recommend it. The free one was the best, open field, private picnic and you get to enjoy the view even more and it is much more safer imo. Some of the people here was rude, some of them would cut in line, they would block the entrance for photos like they have the right of way, and someone even brought a fireworks and ignite it next to a tree, which is absolutely not safe at all till a law enforcement came by to investigate. The parking was the most challenging here and the heavy traffic once you go home. I also wouldn't want to swim in the Trinity River because it comes from the sewage. Overall, probably my FIRST & LAST. It was an experience and definitely isn't a 5 star list on Yelp.

i went to a music festival at this location and it was the BEST TIME of my life. Very beautiful spot.

I had the opportunity to check out the awesomeness that is the Panther Island Pavilion this past weekend at a local half marathon. The start and finish line was here and then the race went up down and all around the beautiful Trinity Trail. I'm very thankful to the city of Ft. Worth for having such a nice venue here to hold concerts, races and events year round! I could definitely see some fun times going down here in the spring or summer when it's balmy out. There's plenty of land to stretch out, come here for a picnic or just to enjoy nature. Again, Ft. Worth does a stellar job of providing free parking in the city.

When you're floating on a tube with a beer in your hand listening to some damn good country music, it's a fine day folks. Life, is indeed worth living in these moments. A few sad realities is that the water is warm and stagnant, so it's not very refreshing in the 100 degree Texas summer and deters me from peeing in it. Porter potties are available and actually not bad. Wish they had some sort of trash pick up system in the water so you're not left to hold your empty can but sigh, it's a small sacrifice for nature. The wonderful thing is that it's so. much. fun. The music is totally on point. People are super friendly and the vibe all around is outstanding. I came alone and quickly made friends, ended up two-stepping my face off on the sand and had a total blast. Why didn't I find out about this Rockin' in the River business earler? Some logistics: They take cash or credit cards but you have to buy tokens to exchange for everything. Tokens are $2 each. Tube rentals are 3 tokens and a one token deposit. Beers (coors, bud light, and some yellow can) are 2 tokens. Water/soda are 1 token. You cannot bring water or any other beverages. If you buy 3 beers you get a free little cooler thing to take. Beer gets warm real fast on the water so probably just buy them one at a time for each person. When you return the tube you get a token back so share a beer with a friend or buy another token to trade in for a full beer. I recommend wearing sandals with straps (no crocs please those are so ugly) so you don't lose them in the water but you can walk around and use the porter potties and protect your feet. Bring waterproof boxes and also bungee cords to tie your tube to those who like you on the water so you can free up your hands for better things, like holding a beer.

I was born & raised in the heart of Downtown Fort Worth, there are still some historic landmarks, old school well-built bridges, parks, etc. I absolutely love the direction they are building the trinity trail into although, As in recent months I started going to panther island pavilion for exercise. Being a blessed black American myself, I noticed it's 3 white dudes that appear to have an issue with me & whoever is accompanying me, thinking I was just being uneasy just my imagination, a few days in a row they are talking amongst themselves not keeping their voices unheard saying disrespectful degrading racist things in reference to me & my friends and whomever else of black American descent".

The fine folks of Fort Worth love their Trinity River, and Panther Island Pavilion pays beautiful homage to it. This humble sized stage overlooking the river is the center of several community music events - and there seem to be more scheduled every season. I've been out here for the Rockin' The River Music series, which offers a promising line-up of fun (mostly local) bands every Thursday evening during June and July (and a few weeks in August). There's food, plenty of beer to buy, and tubing... I love the concept, although I'm not too keen on actually submerging my body into that murky water. However, it's adorable that there's this tiny "beach" along the banks across from the stage. It's a small amount of sand that people (mostly teens and young adults) approach in bikinis and swim trunks with a demeanor that says, "I'm on a sunny shore!" While this is certainly no ocean-side, sandy paradise; it's a sweet tribute to one. There is a place to go in Fort Worth where you can put your feet in sand and look out over water, and for that, I am thankful! Tons of green space surround this pavilion as well, so there's plenty of room for festivities to accompany concerts; food trucks, pop-up bars, vendor booths, etc. Several runners and cyclists continually scurry through, and I've seen (and heard of) multiple 5K's held here. It may be hotter than Hades 75% of the year, but it's a joy to have this green oasis available, bringing Fort Worth together over music and the river.

So I'm reserving the fifth star to see what Panther Island becomes, but for what it is now, it's pretty promising: smallish stage overlooking the latest and greatest Trinity, a burgeoning schedule of events, from the first ever Solar Powered Fest (think music fest entirely powered by the sun) to the Rockin' River Series, which steps into the summer with a weekly smorgasbord of bands you can see by innertube, cold one in hand. The fact is that Fort Worth's take on the Trinity is pretty terrific, and Panther Island is home to lots of the natural extensions of same. It remains that there's almost nothing better by my estimation than a late spring or early summer Texas by the beginnings of sunset, the hills and one giant ruby orb dipping into the recesses of the horizon beyond. That doesn't solve everything everywhere, mind you, but it solves almost everything in your immediate future, should you find yourself in its orbit. And on days when you're angling for that last bit of happy to send you into the stars, this is a fine place to start.

Okay, so after ending up here for some really, really, insanely cool events recently (Paste Untapped Fest and the FW Music Fest), I've reconsidered some of the thoughts I had about Panther Island Pavilion. I still seriously question the thinking behind people getting in the water here (yeah, no thanks). But the Untapped Fest in the old Tandy Center parking lot and the FW Music Fest in the area across the river made me realize how versatile the area is for a lot of outdoor festival-ey things. And the fact that it boasts a pretty great view of the city skyline on the bluff is nothing to take lightly, either. (Side note: what's going to become of this place and the killer new drive-in once the Trinity River Vision, praise be unto it, floods the north part of downtown, I wonder...) So I hope they keep bringing really great events here. And I'll keep going to them. But yeah, no thanks on the tubing.

We arrived 30 minutes to close, luckily they let us in! The views at Panther Island are pretty amazing, they had a live band and the atmosphere was real chill. Coming from Dallas it's a real treat to pay $10 for three beer and we even get to keep the glass! Parking was a little pain in the butt, unless you have a truck you better park in the street. It's really muddy, so watch out!

Panther Island Pavillion is a music venue, however my experience with Panther Island is as a good old fashioned swimming hole! We regularly come out here on weekends to take a nice swim to help us endure the sweltering heat. Backwoods is usually there on the weekends to rent out canoes, kayaks and paddle boards. On Sunday Funday there are even beer stands and food trucks. I personally have not seen a concert here, although it looks like a great place for it. I mean there is a stage on the beach as well as a cool stage over the water on the far side of the river that would be perfect to watch while you floated around in front. There are showers, port a potties and water fountains close by. When there isn't an event going (including Sunday Funday) you can bring a cooler with you. For having concerts there, there is actually less trash than you'd think. The crowd is very nice and courteous. You can bring your dog too and let them cool off, which is a great bonus. So if it is burning up outside and you don't have easy access to a pool, definitely consider loading up a cooler and coming out for a swim. This is a great oasis right there in downtown.

I saw Panther Island rocking from Main Street and the nearby Tarrant County College campus a few times, but I didn't get a close look until this last year's Dia De Los Toadies festival. It's a great space: - Plenty of parking available for $5, and getting in and out was easy and painless. - There's a great variety of spots to settle into, depending on what you're there for. We came in on a hot and muggy day, and it was super relaxing laying out on the river bank in the shade, listening to music, and watching people tube. - If you're not the lay-in-the-shade-and-watch-people-tube type, there's a huge open field for seats or walking around, plenty of tents set up, a hill made for blankets and spreading out and an area for food trucks. Two stages if you want to get right up to the music. Seriously, something for everyone. I'm tempted to dock one star because a few hours into the evening, the bathrooms were a mess... still, I'm definitely looking forward to heading back to Panther Island once the weather warms up. How can walking around with the sun on your face and a beer in your hand not be fun?

Fantastic place to go hang with friends. They need to do a better job with considering not mixing small kids with adults drinking on the river. To be very candid, the lifeguards are pretty useless. When another patron has to pull a random kid out of the water twice and the lifeguards are still on their paddle boards, you have a problem.

Awful! The rink is extremely small and its melting like a pond. I'm a fairly good skater but the ice terrible - gross & slushy. Don't waste your money. Skate at one of the many Dr Pepper stars centers in the area. And, did I mention the bees flying around?!?

A good place to see a concert but be prepared to get dirty. My feet were not just dusty but caked with dirt by the end of the night.

Turned down a veteran to use their bathroom today on Veterans Day and had all of their Porter potties blocked off so no veterans or volunteers were able to use them.

Went for a work event. This place is absolutely disgusting Large rocked walkways made it difficult to push baby strollers. Covered area for food with limited seating. NO WAY I would swim or even dip my toes in the Trinity River. the river has tested positive for E-coli, then 2 days later FT Worth says its safe. Don't think so. Just down river are industrial plants. Then the name Panther Island is unappealing.. if the city wants to use this, then pave sidewalks and clean it up.

I visited Panther Island for a Harry Potter "fest" they were hosting. It was not put together well AT ALL. Ten dollars to get in and sixteen dollars for admission, which was ridiculous. There was no disclosure stating you would have to pay for parking. Five dollars is reasonable, not ten. The fest itself was so jumbled and messy. They stated there would be butterbeer, and made it seem like it would be free. Well, it wasn't and they were sold out by the time we got there. Keep in mind we had gotten there at 12:00 when it opened at 10:00. I'll never go back to this venue ever again, no matter how great they make the event out to be. Extremely disappointed and a complete waste of money.

They really should post online if the river won't be open for tubing. They had it posted that it was opening night but when we got there it was posted that all water activities were closed. There was a good amount of people there that were all dressed for tubing and like us, we're disappointed to see it closed. I gave it two stars because there was lots of parking and the staff that I spoke with were very friendly. I'll be back again I think but I'll be sure to call before going to make sure the river is up and running.

Parking was $5, which is a bit disappointing. No one includes parking in ticket prices anymore. Sigh. Anyway, it's an interesting location, on the flood plain of the Trinity, located on a bend in the river, with great views of downtown Ft Worth. I do wish they had more bathrooms. Or bathrooms at all, really. My husband went to the Ft Worth Music Festival and said the VIP section was right by the stage and totally worth the price, so when we went again for Dia De Los Toadies, it was a no brainer. Except they moved the VIP section. It's nowhere near the stage. They had it up on top of the hill, not facing the stage, and had seriously rickety stairs leading up. I have fibromyalgia, so I am really glad it was a "good day" and I could make it up - they had no way up to the VIP if you're handicapped that I could tell. the VIP section was CROWDED as all get-out and didn't have half the seating it needed. The special restrooms trucked in for the VIP section had a half hour wait in line to use. You also had to hike down the hill to get any food. We eventually gave up on the VIP section and sat down on the lawn on a blanket we brought. I am so disappointed. What a waste of money. Overall, though, I enjoyed the concert and the food trucks.

What a great venue. Nice big lawn for outdoor concerts on a pretty bend in the Trinity River. Nice views of downtown Fort Worth. Bit annoying to have to pay for parking, but at least it was only $5 (at least for the Fort Worth Music Festival).

Awesome experience for Octoberfest!!! Very focused on a good time with traditional music. I have been to wurstfest , and this is better smaller and very fun! Would recommend to anyone.

what an awesome place! loving the fact that this is so close to home and it's FREE. woohoo, check it out.