The BayCare Sound

I attended a Little River Band concert at The BayCare Sound in Clearwater a few nights ago, and I can honestly say the experience couldn’t have been better. From start to finish, everything about this venue and the event was top-notch. The weather was excellent—cool and pleasant—though it did rain for a few minutes. Thankfully, we were under the cover, so it didn’t affect the night at all and just added a little charm to the evening. The sound quality from the stage was phenomenal, crystal clear and perfectly balanced, letting every note of Little River Band’s performance shine. Speaking of the band, they put on an incredible show, taking me back years with their timeless hits—it was pure nostalgia done right. The view from the venue was just as impressive, with the water and surrounding area providing a stunning backdrop that made the night feel extra special. The staff was fantastic—super helpful and attentive, making sure everyone was taken care of. The grounds were spotless, not a piece of litter in sight, which really added to the overall enjoyment. I also felt completely at ease with the strong presence of police and security around; it gave the whole event a safe, relaxed vibe. Even getting out of the facility was a breeze—traffic flowed smoothly, and there was no hassle at all. The BayCare Sound is a gem of a venue, and paired with a stellar performance from Little River Band, it made for an unforgettable night. I’d go back in a heartbeat!

Great concert. Got seats up front, but they were off to the far left (if looking at the stage) and in that corner it is hot. Very little airflow. It would have been better to get lower cost tickets in the center or even back in the 200 section. Old Dominion was awesome!!!

This is a great venue. It’s covered outside assigned seating. We had third row tickets to Chicago kind of a bucket list thing they performed and they did not let us down. They were fantastic as you can see. I’ve posted a few videos of the actual concert.

This open-air venue delivers clean crisp sound in a modern setting and intimate atmosphere for a phenomenal experience! To take full advantage of the venue, I recommend getting tickets with access to the View level for great views, and the Baycare VIP area with climate control, especially on very cold nights or hot days, it also has private bathrooms and bars. In conjunction with floor seats, section 103 provides some of the best seats. We parked across the street from the library, which was a very close walk, parking was $20. There is also the Garden parking garage about 2 blocks away for cheaper. We enjoyed the venue, event, and people, it made for an amazing concert night!

Saw a bass music (EDM) show there and was impressed with the sound quality! Watching the sun set behind the stage was a lovely bonus. Bathrooms are big and line moved fast. Lots of concession vendors sprinkled throughout, so getting water/food wasn't too bad. They had a water bottle refill station, but didn't let me bring my clear, empty bottle in like the website suggested because "it could be a projectile"....like a purchased beer or hot dog couldn't!? I think that was just one security dude going too far. The walk back to my car wasn't very long so I just took it back real quick. Oh! And there's this AMAZING tree out there that I'm sure would have lots of great stories to tell if it could speak. A good spot to meet up with your friends when you arrive. Then lots of room on the lawn to stretch out a blanket and get comfy in between trips into "the pit" where the energy itself is intoxicating as the bass vibrates your every molecule! Check out a show there if you get a chance!

We saw Old Dominion in concert here this past weekend. We absolutely love this venue! It’s a little smaller than some of the others, which we like better. We’ll definitely look for more shows here in the future.

This is a really great venue to see an outdoor concert. I am a local so both times I went I didn’t pay for a seat. There is an area to the side where I was able to see the concert by just looking over the wall. They have since changed it so now there is really only one place to see it without tickets but you are on a slanted hill and you can only see them on a screen. The concerts are great. We saw Styx, 38 special and Foreigner. They have food inside the seating area. You can bring coolers if you sit outside the venue. But mostly you are just going to hear them and not see them so you might as well buy a ticket. You will see some beautiful sunsets as it is right by the water. There is a pizza place within walking distance where you can get a slice and a drink if staying outside of venue.

I absolutely love outdoor concerts!! I find that the staff and volunteers are very pleasant and respectful. The seats are comfortable and totally enjoyed Foreigner and Diana Ross the next day!! Can't wait till this Sunday when we go to Air Supply!!😊💖🥳 I'm so glad we have a place like this in our community.

I honestly thought this was one of the coolest concert venues I have been to! The reserved seats are comfortable and spacious with cup holders. All of the food/drink vendors were friendly (high prices but to be expected). The bathrooms are clean! Parking can be easy or difficult, depending on how much you are willing to pay.

Although a mid sized venue, you can still get close enough to the performance to count their nose hairs. (Not that you would, just sayin') Food and drink are pretty overpriced, but that's to be expected. Plenty of REAL bathrooms, so that is a "plus!"

Gorgeous venue! There is not a bad seat in the house. lSuper fans have a chance to be front row in the pit while those who opt to sit can purchase assigned seats. There's also the lawn in the back for blankets and picnic people. It's just the right size too, which draws the musicians I am typically a fan of. The only drawback with this venue is the amount of time you'll spend standing in line to do anything. Getting in, going to the bathroom, getting a drink... Expect to wait in a single file line forever. Purchase all your drinks at once and hold it till after the show ;)

It was easy to get in and out. This is a great venue without the chaos of the MidFlorida amphitheater. The food trucks have a nice selection to choose from. Food and drink reasonable priced for a venue. The lawn area looked nice, although you have to sit higher on the hill to see the stage. The seats under the amphitheater are just folding style seats. While not super comfy, the aisle were spaced well enough that it was you could stretch out a bit. The snack shacks and food trucks all had good service. TIP: there was a restroom trailer on the south side by the food trucks. Great way to beat the restroom lines that form.

After two concerts spaced a year apart this continues to be a cluster of frustration. Who is managing this venue? The staff are very nice but their policies continue to reflect clueless on making your customers happy. My latest concert was UB40. They sent a reminder text earlier in the day that said music started at 6p; which was helpful. It required I respond to the text so I would receive important updates. Travel was over an hour to get there. TIP: street parking is free after 6p on weekdays! The neighboring lot was charging $20, so get there early. Arrived at the gate where they advised opening act Maxi Priest was canceled and that refunds could only happen prior to ticket scan. Regardless on whether I responded to the earlier text, this key change should have been sent via text as soon as they learned Maxi Priest couldn't make it. Equally frustrating: Prior to the concert I had taken the time to learn about bag size and learned they had changed their policy last year that allowed one sealed water bottle per person to keep people from passing out (concert is in August so it was sweltering). Security searched the clear bag and told us NO plastics are allowed in the venue. When I mentioned to the gate manager this had changed last year, the response was "this changes from event to event". Huh? So every event everyone has to call Ruth Eckerd staff beforehand to ask whether they're going to allow one bottle of water? Other people at the gate were being rejected, so this is a common misconception. You can bring an empty METAL drink container to refill with lukewarm tap water at stations next to the bathrooms. Inside the waters are sold in a can for $6. The brand is "Liquid Death". I'm not making this up! How appealing when the feels like temperatures are near 100 degrees. Several people passed out during the event and needed to be stretchered on their backs to several ambulances parked outside the gate. Again, who is making decisions restricting plastic water bottles? Does someone need to die before they come to their senses? The venue still has the problem of viewers facing directly into the setting sun for portions of the concert. So bring your hat and sunglasses because even though there is a cover over seating, it doesn't help at dusk. Also recommend bringing a fan or hand towel. Some people brought battery powered fans. There is space between rows but chairs are too close together. Cup holders are only every other chair (why?). Bathrooms were clean. Just inside the gates are approximately six food trucks. Pizza, kielbasa, Korean fusion and burgers. Prices are roughly $15 to $18 just for the main entree. Fries are extra. They also have a dessert truck and Ben and Jerrys inside by the seating. Another problem is they only have approximately five tables to eat at once you get your food. How does that make sense?

I've changed my mind! I went to one of the first shows here and i thought to myself self such bad planning for having the stage face West which on this hot and humid Florida day allowed the sun to beat down and shine on our eyes. It was frustrating and grueling! I still feel there needs to be some kind of shade or screen built to rectify this really uncomfortable problem. We got past that and you'll realize how pretty the venue and grounds are. Security as well as the ushers were extremely friendly and helpful as well. The most important two aspects were the seating design and the ability it allows to see the stage from every seat. In case people stood during the concert the large projection screens were of amazing quality providing 4k possibly 8k HDR Viewing with no loss or distortion whatsoever. The second aspect and the most important is the acoustic design that was well planned and engineered. I'm an audio and video geek and I have been to concerts all over The Northeast as well as all over Florida, The sound is truly amazing! Many artists have publicly commented on the Sound being there favorite performance venue because of the audio quality included in this group are Ringo Starr and members of the Bare Naked Ladies and many more as well. There's a nice choice of top performers here as well. Nice venue for a city the size of Clearwater!

Beautiful venue, close to the water. Parking in the area isn't great ($20) and the seats are not particularly comfortable so being a towel to sit on, but otherwise the sound is excellent and, let's face it, when you're seeing a 50th anniversary tour of a rock band, the band members resemble George Washington more than a 1970s hippie so just enjoy the sound!

Not sure what I was expecting but I was more than a little underwhelmed. I'd say the main issue was the heat vs ventilation vs packed seating. I felt like I was at the strawberry festival, minus a breeze of some sort. The chairs were uncomfortable and packed tightly together so if you were unlucky enough to sit next to someone who weighed 300+ lbs, you basically had no seat at all. That made it uncomfortable for all parties involved. The price f the tickets would lead you to believe you would have amphitheater seating. Nope. And the chairs weren't even staggered so since you were on flat artificial turf, you could even see the stage, just the back of the person in front of you. And ventilation...well there were about 4 ceiling fans about 30-40 feet up, so not sure what purpose they served but the thought was there. And then there was the bottled water sales. Oh wait, sorry, no bottled water, just cans. Okay I get what the green people are saying about plastic but I'm not drinking water out of a can. You can't convince me. If you're not selling bottled water, at least allow us to bring our own. The only reason I gave this place more than one star was the acoustics. The sound was great. Perfect noise level too. Not sure if the kudos should go to Ringo & his band, or if The Sound was responsible for balancing it out. So would I go back? Yes, maybe in January or February when it's 20 degrees cooler, and the tickets were a whole lot less expensive than I'd pay at another venue.

Amazing concert venue near the water. Great acoustics. Went with 3 friends and had up front seats so we were under cover. Food & beverage trucks available. 2 entrances. Bag policy in effect. Pretty chilly night we went would recommend some of those patio heaters in the common areas. Only downside is parking. They need a designated parking garage or area for the venue.

Great location, sound was great, and seating arrangement is excellent! Was able to find parking close by.

Everything in my first review still stands. However, they did wisen up and changed their list of prohibited items...they removed empty containers from the list so now you can actually use the hydration stations they installed. Good call, considering the heat. Too bad it took 7-10 days after opening to realize that was a really crappy rule. I obviously was not the only one who felt this way. At the 2nd and last show I went to there (which Shaun Hopper and Dave Koz and friends were fantastic!), I personally witnessed a woman being treated for heat exhaustion. I'm still at a 2 here. I'm sure they'll get plenty of business but I'm not going back unless there's someone epic to see. And even then, it would be a tough maybe.

Great location for a concert! Great sound, plenty of vendors and concessions. Beautifully done park and extremely well thought out. I live in Chicago but have friends in Tampa . We will definitely make plans to go to more events at this venue! Well done

Beautiful venue! You can view the bay and skyline of Clearwater Beach from this location, and the breezes off the water help keep you cooler in shaded areas. Just bear in mind that it's in a city location where there may be parking lots a few minutes walk away. The open-air structure with the stage strategically located in the bottom of a gentle sloping area looks gorgeous from first glimpse behind the main public library, which has the closest parking lot with handicapped spaces. Because the venue is new, there are still growing pains going on. Security is still working out restricted items, but if you need to carry medication or medical supplies there is no issue. Large purses and umbrellas aren't allowed in - just like every other venue I've been to in the last several years. If you have to bring in a purse, get a clear one - sold everywhere (Wal-Mart). An unopened water bottle is permitted as of July 2023. Food trucks are strategically located at the left side of the stage, and merchandise stands (one large) at the back of the seating area. Cold beverages (beer, wine, and water) are located sporadically throughout the venue. On a hot July night they should have had five more because lines to purchase hydration were long. Prices are not cheap - Seating leaves a bit to be desired - but having stood, danced, and jumped up for all of the Michael Franti concert I saw wasn't a big deal. Yes, they are uncomfortable and small plastic chairs hooked together, but rows are clearly marked and ushers are the nicest I've encountered in over 60 years going to music and sporting events. We will be returning in the future, hopefully to see Ringo!

We managed to park for free in the parking garage a few blocks away, which normally is 50 cents an hour. Plenty of Scientologists to see on the walk to the concert. The seats were okay however for the event we attended there was plenty of seating on the lawn. Despite this, we did have a couple sit on the concrete footer next to our seats so basically they got just as good view of the stage and likely paid less. The smell of overcooked greasy food from the food trucks was nauseating as we had already eaten at a local spot on the way there. The smell was unpleasant and the odor lingered in our clothing like we were at some dive bar all night. The sound was mixed okay however the amount of compression and treble from the guitarists was ear piercing. I know they needed a particular sound for their style of music but it was ice pick worthy. Overall, I found it to be a more pleasant experience than attending a concert in Tampa if you live on this side of Tampa Bay. The worst part was you cannot get a regular bottle of water! All they had was that Liquid Death which we do not care for. As a result, we went thirsty. They do have water fountains which we visited twice. Oh and it's cashless if you do make a purchase. We did not buy any food or beverages. We overall are 50/50 on attending a concert at this venue in the future.

Went here for Sad Summer Fest. It was a great venue for that! Food was good and it also had a big variety of drink options. The drinks and food were very overpriced but you'll get that with any concert you go to unfortunately. There was lots of space and it did not feel crowded even though there was a massive amount of people. The field was great for laying/sitting and taking a break when things got too hot near the stage. There was so much space for all of the merchandise tents and food trucks and drink stands and the bathrooms were very clean and not too crowded either. Lots of parking too!! It's always gonna be extremely hot outside, midday, in Florida, in the middle of summer but as long as you stay hydrated and take a break when you need to it's great. I would definitely go back here for another event.

First of all this is a really nice facility with a lot of potential. However, I think the management needs to rethink some of it policies and practices. My family and I attended the Chicago concert, unfortunately had to settle for lawn seating (which I will NEVER do again). Entry to the venue was slow and painful. The entrance we used had a line of severe hundred feet and it moved SLOWLY. The line was still there and just as long and hour after we gained admittance. In my opinion the lawn seating was oversold. They should reduce the amount of these by about 25% to avoid the ridiculous overcrowding that existed. The wasn't enough room between patrons for others to navigate through the crowd. Parking is horrible close to the venue (get there real early), and better signage is needed all around. Not sure what happened to the actually concert though, seems it was cut short. Chicago had played an other venues earlier in the week and played about 2.5 hours. We only got about an hour and a half. Very disappointed. They still sounded good though after all these years.

This is a brand new music venue within Coachman Park in Downtown Clearwater, right on the intercoastal waterway, with 4,000 plastic folding seats under the roof, plus a lawn capacity of 5,000. I was able to experience the good, the bad & the ugly of this waterfront destination at 2 different events during The Sound's grand opening week. For Wednesday night, I snagged free tickets to the very first concert after the ribbon-cutting with Cheap Trick headlining. And then a friend bought us reserved-seat tickets to see Dave Koz & Friends 3 days later. I know now that there are 3 gates, but signage was non-existent & following crowd-flow was useless since we were all new here. Y'all know I'm going to mention the parking situation right away. The City of Clearwater was the star for opening week by offering free trolley transit from several free public parking garages/lots in the downtown area. Plus, the City's legible online map made planning easy, & the clear street signage was great. My minimal research suggests the free Jolley Trolley service was a special limited run for The Sound's grand opening week, but I hope REH & the City realize how convenient that service was for visitors unfamiliar with this area & also recognize that people like me would pay some money for this option at future events. Since I started with positive observations, let's talk about food. The Sound has what seems to be a dedicated food truck park inside the ticket gates but just outside of the venue space. I have so many good vibes about this! My only negative is that I am one person & can't eat everything! The prices at every food truck seemed rather reasonable for event food choices, & service was very efficient. And since they have many different trucks, none of the lines were egregious. I really hope Gigglewaters is always there because their tots were fantastic. Moving on to beverages, I'm very disappointed that empty containers were not allowed for The Sound's grand opening events, unless it was the Tervis or silicone cups sold here with The Sound's logo. I have since seen The Sound post an updated infographic on social media listing prohibited items that no longer includes outside containers. I do hope this change is permanent, since Florida is hot year-round, and the venue already has water bottle refill stations. Small cans of water were available for purchase; yes, cans, as the venue is plastic-free. I know people will buy this chilled water in a sealed container for $5, but those of us drinking the reasonably priced $10 domestic beers would also like a few sips of water & we're ok with warm water to stay hydrated. Further, revisiting with The Sound's silicone cup on Saturday night brought questions, which I assume was due to inadequately trained new staff. But, I also smuggled in a collapsible water bottle in my clear bag at the same time with no issues. It's sad that I felt like an outlaw just trying to drink water in July in Florida. Also heat-related... the blinding SUN. If I had a time machine, I'd want to to hear the discussions about designing a music venue with seats facing west/southwest without a sun-screen or other sun-blocking device for that half hour or so when the sun descended below the roof. The irony is that I'd be wasting a time machine trip because that conversation obviously never happened. My husband literally left our seats until the sun fell behind the stage. What were the architects thinking?!? What the architects did get right was the acoustics. Wednesday night with Cheap Trick was a bit rough (& we were close, in the red seats on the far left), but Dave Koz on Saturday night was on-point. Maybe because this venue is small, the sound from our seats behind the mix boards was amazing. The acoustics are the main reason I will return to The Sound. And the venue's intimacy is a huge plus, if you have a seat. I'll note that the bathrooms at the back of the lawn are NOT climate-controlled, but I hear the ones near the food truck area are. Maybe more importantly, the lawn restrooms are not crowded. Also, the food & beverage vendors at the back of the lawn have no lines. And the entrance gate there is ideal for trolley riders if the downtown loop is reinstated. Other observations that will affect my show choices: no video screens, and the lawn was not sloped so standing would be mandatory to see the stage. With all of these pros & cons in context, I had GA tickets for TFO on the 4th & decided not to go. It was just too hot even with the water breeze, knowing I'd need to smuggle in an empty water bottle & probably have to sit on the ground. The venue has a few ceiling fans but they felt moot in facilitating airflow. And the sun setting in front of my eyeballs between the roof and side stage was even more unbearable than the heat. Hopefully as seasons change and the sunset path shifts, concerts here will be more pleasant. [#15 of 2023]

Not sure what's up with the bad reviews, this place was awesome. We were in town and didn't realize one of our favorite bands was playing, so we had to buy tickets. They had a gal right out front who got us great tickets. My ONE complaint was they told us when we bought tickets that we could bring our water bottles in. I was suspicious so I showed her our metal bottles and she confirmed. We ubered to the venue and when we went through (at a different gate than we bought the tickets), they scanned our tickets THEN told us we couldn't bring them in. We did not want to lose the bottles and they told us we could have tried the other gate to see if they had different rules, but they already scanned us in so we couldn't do that. They basically put us in a tough spot and didn't want to help. They need to align their communication, once we were in, we weren't the only ones with this issue. They do set up refill stations, and have food trucks that were awesome. There's not really a bad spot in the house, I would definitely see another concert here. Food is fairly priced, drinks are overpriced as expected. It's a cool spot once they figure out their details.

I have been really excited to finally have a ampitheater close to home after having to make the trek to Tampa year after year. Last night we finally got to visit The Sound to see the Goo Goo Dolls and OAR after months of anticipation. Yes this venue, which is brand new, has some details to iron out in the future, but the reviews of 1 are ridiculous. This beautiful venue is small enough to feel as if you are close, even by lawn standards, yet big enough to accommodate several thousand fans and still feel spread out enough to move around. The night started with rain showers in the area and the concert start time was delayed a couple of hours. It looked as if the stage area was taking on more rain than the seating area. We were seated in the 203 section and didn't get any moisture other than a random wind blown drop. We didn't witness a sunset because of overcast skies and storm clouds but I can see how a Florida sunset could be a tough experience looking at the stage. Maybe a retractable awning or shade would curtail this issue. The place was clean and easy to enter but hand wanding every guest could take forever. Not sure why there wasn't any walk through scanners. Bathrooms were quick and mostly clean and there was ample beer and liquor stations located throughout the venue. The food truck area is a cool concept but be prepared to wait for cooked to order food. We waited nearly 20 min at the grilled cheese truck but it was pretty good and honestly, too much food to eat. Beers ranged from $10-12 and Liquid Death waters were $5. There were various water refill stations located around. Parking entry and exit was an absolute breeze. We arrived 20 min before original showtime and found street parking which is paid on app. Cost us .90 because they don't charge after 6pm. Excellent value there although some lots wanted $20 for some reason. The Sound was a good venue and the actual sound of the concert was good. I can't wait until more bands jump onboard here and we get to visit more. I'm excited to have a local venue to ease the travel time and have fun in our county.

Here on the opening weekend, 6/30/23. I assume this place will improve with a little feedback, so here it is: They need to install some sun screens in the open area above the stage. Blinding light for about 30 minutes prior to sunset while the performance was going on. Drinks are always expensive at shows, I get it. Beer was $10 for a 16 ounce can. Typical. But what didn't make sense was $12 for a 12 ounce Nutrl seltzer. Maybe the distributor delivered the wrong size. Either the price needs to come down or the cans need to get bigger. At a Lightning game, a 24 ounce seltzer is $16. There are also no tv screens, which at first I thought was because of the smaller venue, but I realized they are definitely needed as the show went on. All in all, a nice venue for smaller shows. Everything, bathrooms, food, drinks, easily with reach.

Went to a concert when it was pouring rain and they dont allow umbrellas. If i cant stay dry they should refund our money. Drinks are way over priced and they dont allow you to bring in water. During the summer months they should encourage people bringing water. Maybe they are trying to keep their EMTs busy? Parking is a nightmare. You have to uber here because all the parking around there is owned by scientology and they wont allow you to use their empty lots. There are a couple places that charge $30+ for parking. They should have built this thing so that you can watch from the water. That would have been cool. This is a good attempt at getting downtown clearwater popular again but it wont ever be like Dunedin, palm harbor, safety harbor.

We went to a concert and had premium seats on a warm steam normal Florida evening. The issue we had is the seats which were folding seats and shoulder to shoulder. We disliked them because they were so close together that we would only go back if we sit on the grass on a cooler evening. Sound was fine and view was fine - just not a fan of being squeezed in my seat.

This is the worst run concert or sporting venue I have ever experienced in over 50 years of going to thousands upon thousands of concerts and events. The staff was beyond useless.There was no security until inside the venue ( at which point they looked like they were ready for a war) in spite of lines over an hour long in multiple directions. They sell lawn tickets which we purchased which oversold to the point of absurdity. Bathroom lines were horrific. We left before the headliner started as we were told the only place we could sit was behind a canvas wall. Plain and simple a total disgrace as a business. Sad as if the venue was run by a good promoter it could be great but obviously it's not.

My experience seeing Chicago at The Sound was a huge disappointment. We never do lawn seats, but that was all that was available and they were super inexpensive (plus it was a benefit concert) so what could go wrong? 1) Parking - there is none. Be prepared to walk and walk and walk. In fact, allow a good 30-45 min 2) Entrances/Security screening- no directions on where to go- we ended up in different areas of the park before we realized you had to take the ramp down. Once we found the line, it was super slow! Another 45+ minutes to get through the line 3) The list of "no-no's". It's long! Read it carefully. You will be turned away and have to walk back to your car and stand in long line again. No storage lockers, so most people were throwing their stuff away. For an outdoor venue, you can't bring sunscreen (aresol), chairs or water inside. Oh, and your purse has to fit in a pocket, so not sure the point of bringing one. 4) You are now inside and the food trucks smell amazing, but their line is super long too! Keep in mind, they can't sell beverages so split up and get your drinks & waters and food separately. Once you get them, there are no standing tables or benches to eat, so the juggling act is interesting. 5) reserved seats are cheap plastic chairs. Lawn seats are worse 6) They oversold- not a green spot to be seen on the lawn and people had to literally step on each other to go to the restroom. They did not have enough space, so the excess were left standing on walkways blocking the view of the lawn. The structure and drink stations also block view, so there are very few spaces in the lawn that you can actually see the stage 7) Staff had no idea how to control the excess and unruley people and kept telling people to move, but they had no place to offer them to go. Everyone had a ticket, so everyone SHOULD have a space! The positives- bathrooms were clean and sound was good. Our show started after sunset; but have heard issues of heat and glare of sun during some of the summer concerts when sun set later. Things to know. I mentioned above the list of no-nos! Read it! Blankets have limited sizes, etc. This is also a cashless venue. Best part of show- leaving. We left a few songs in, because it was such a cluster, so we got out easy. I have premium seats for two upcoming shows but will be donating the tickets - I have no desire to return.

Saw next big thing there and had a GREAT TIME! The food trucks were NEXT LEVEL! Plenty of bathrooms and bars! The sound was GREAT! And bleachers was amazing! Highly recommend pit tickets! Also parking was a BREEZE. A short walk to the venue. I wish I could give it 10 stars

First thing of course is the "hope I can find parking"...sure for an additional 30-40 bucks, which we didn't mind, however we didn't know what was available there, until we arrived one hour early because we weren't sure. The sound should at least let people know where there is USUALLY parking available. Second - the Junk on the right hand side of the stage. I happened to be seated on the right of the stage where there were tents, misc. equipment., etc.., so much so, that I couldn't see the video screen behind the band. So much for my $150.00 ticket. Half the stage was blocked with extraneous stuff (the bands were NOT using) and I couldn't get a decent view for that price ticket. Security - Well this was Kenny Loggins where most of the customer base was over 55 years old. The security guards stood 8 deep (yes I counted) to control any "crazy crowd member" that wanted to take a picture. This was incredulous. These security people were overbearing lined up at the right of the stage and were either nit picking the audience who were quite well behaved or just standing there getting "Free" front row tickets to the concert without paying. NO WAY did we need 8 people up there. I felt this "Line up" of security was ridiculous/overkill/rude as hell to those of us who actually paid to see the concert. Not to mention they were all drinking from "banned plastic bottles". See pictures! Stage and Security! UGH!

perfect place for a concert except seats are very, very uncomfortable and placed to closely together

I have not attended this venue during an event, only the park. From all I've seen and heard I never will. As an older adult I do not see the attraction. Can't sit on the grass. Seats are hard plastic and small. Concessions and bathroom lines long. Parking options poor at best. Ill stuck with the inside venues REH, Capitol Theatre etc.

You have to watch your bill at the beer concessions. I didn't notice when I went to pay my purchase, the credit card scanner was defulted to eighteen percent tip. I never give an 18% tip on a $12.00 beer.

This new venue is a complete crap show (being nice here). They are TOTALLY unprepared for the crowds. Took over two hours to find parking and enter the venue. Drink and bathroom lines are horrendous. Unprepared, understaffed, poor systems, poor planning, poor engineering, and just a complete and total mess. Would never do this again until this is all figured out someday.

Pleasantly surprised given the bad reviews. We took a Lyft from Clearwater beach and it was easy getting in and out. Venue was well put together, food trucks were nice, lots of drink spots and bathrooms were even in decent shape.

I attended a concert at this venue this weekend and this may be the worse run event I have ever been. The facility looked great but the amenities were horrible. The entire venue has 2 small restrooms and the men's lines were 15 to 20 minutes most of the night. Not to be outdone, the lines to get a drink were 10-15 minutes. Finally, to make matters even worse, people could not find a trash can so beer cans and trash were being stacked in a corners. The sound has potential but I will wait to return until the problems are worked out.

Sad to go to a Chicago concert at this venue and had to leave early, us standing drinking our sodas and water (like others dozen spectators) at the very end of the lawn area, due to drunk people, that were sitting and blocking the steps/stairs, starts messing around with you and family, saying obscenities because we were supposedly blocking their view (again we were not the only ones standing at the very end of the lawn area) calling my wife and daughter names, and even one of the intoxicated man, standing too close to them to provoke arguments or perhaps a fight, sadder is that we informed the situation to the "security" (which were just volunteers) and they didn't do anything, on the contrary, they threatened us that if kept with the commotion we were going to be escorted by the police, which we explained that we were trying to enjoy it but with these drunks it wasn't possible and the "security" tells me to enjoy the concert, daring to put his hands on me as if pushing me which is not at all right. Definitely neither the staff nor the venue are prepared for this or any event. It's a shame that a band as prestigious as Chicago had to perform with a poor sound and lights and to top it off the true fans of them could not enjoy it properly. Our first and last visit to this venue, not recommended, not worth it.

This drunk dude kept badgering me and my parents because we stood up all the way at the back row. I'm a minor. This adult kept passive aggressively getting close to us to the point where he was breathing on our necks. It was because the lawn was overbooked and they had to sit on the stairs. I understand the frustration, but we got there early and were able to stand in the *back row*. He kept saying rude comments to us and mocking us. My dad motioned to security multiple times before he got angry that no one was doing anything. My dad talked to security and when he was upset with their inaction, instead of dealing with the drunk guy who was bothering us, told my dad that he would have to be escorted if he kept this up. The drunk man was white and my father is Latino. They didn't take my dad seriously because they ignored how this drunk dude was repeatedly bothering us *and only us* in favor of not doing their jobs. I wouldn't recommend going here because security did nothing and stereotyped my father. I didn't feel comfortable at all. This adult man was breathing on our shoulders because of the pettiest thing. We were all the way in the back! So, yeah.

The architects should lose their license. To build a west facing open facility without providing shade for the setting sun is like failing your first architecture class. Really unfortunate design. Next, what planet are the architects living on to put tiny little plastic chairs in. These are narrower than economy seats on airplanes. You better like the people sitting next to you as part of them will be in your space. Truly terrible seating. No drink holders? And astroturf on the ground. Where do you expect people to balance their drinks? Again, the lack of drink holders is a direct result of a very poor choice of seats. Why in the world did you put astroturf in? How do you think you are going to clean it from drinks being spilled, food being ground in to it, chewing gum will be particularly special. The lack of smooth flooring means there is no place to sit a beverage without it spilling. No TVs so you can't see the performers. Really basic flaws in the design. The "View" is an utter rip off - charge $100 plus your ticket per person to go in there. Good grief. The restrictions on what you can bring in are stricter than what you can carry on to an airplane. What in the world are you thinking? Other commenters are already writing about how they are smuggling stuff in. No AC in the restrooms at the back of the lawn seats. Were the architects Eskimos? Did the architects ever visit Florida? Parking with ParkMobile is broken. We all looked at each other as to how to pay for parking and we're only offered the option to commit to 12 hours of parking. Food and drink prices are pretty ridiculous and then the absurd request for a minimum 18% tip. This is out of hand.

We took the Dunedin water taxi to Coachman Park and were excited for this new venue and seeing Dave Koz. The mood quickly turned when my husband & I were denied entrance because my purse did not meet restrictions. I will say right upfront, I did not see that when I purchased tickets online. I was carrying a small straw bag that I offered to dump explaining that I had come over on the ferry and had no place to leave it. Denied. Security suggested I "leave it in the bushes". With no choice but to forfeit the evening, we returned to the ferry to go home. On hearing my story, the Captain graciously offered to watch my purse so we could attend the concert. I took photos during the evening of many bags inside the venue that were much larger than mine. As I was obviously not the only one to have missed seeing the guidelines, it seems like there could be a better more consistent solution than arbitrarily turning ticket holders away. Critiques regarding the bright sun directly in the audience face from 7 to 8 pm is warranted. When the architect planned a western facing amphitheater in the Sunshine State, a sunscreen should have been part of the design. "The Sound" venue is all about the sound. However, the sound system design is minimalist. One speaker column on each side of the stage lacks dynamic range resulting in the speakers needing to be wide open to fill the large area. The result is too much sound energy in the front of the house with poor lower fidelity in the back. While this new venue has loads of potential, it's failing the community that it needs to attract. Lois Windgassen Summey Clearwater, FL. 33755

This place was really cool! I think it's definitely a successful venue! The vibes were fantastic, and I loved the food trucks that they had outside of The Sound!

Amazing venue. Great sound , great location Only thing I think it really needs is to have places to put food down and eat Other then that it's perfect Florida open air concert venue

Barely "OK" as ratings go. We knew where to park as we live nearby so we parked in a safe place and walked over. The outdoor park is nice and has an excellent view of Island Estates and Clearwater Beach. Made it through the security gates and walked through the vendors. As usual, too expensive so we saved some dough by not purchasing anything. We had free lawn tickets so we made our way to the back of the venue and sat on the cement wall. There are som serious safety concerns with a cement wall with no railing and no yellow paint warnings that there is a huge drop off. Someone is going to seriously hurt themselves. The view from the back is nice however the sunsets perfectly in your eyes which makes it impossible to see. They need a screen behind the entire stage, no gaps, which would block the sun. It is ridiculous that you cannot bring lawn chairs and you can't take a blanket due to the size restrictions. However, they are not enforcing the size restrictions. (We found out after we were already inside.) The music, Beach Boys, was pretty lame. We left half way through. The firs block of Cleveland was busy (the part with the Starbucks) however as soon as you cross over Ft Harrison the business died off. It is mind boggling that Clearwater can't get it together. Speaking with restaurant owners on the 2nd block they tell you how impossible it is to get the proper permits to do anything at all. The city should make it as east as possible just to get it up and running. Anywhere else you go has no problem getting people to stop by. Even New Port Richey is bustling. I was hopeful The Sound would help but it doesn't seem to. If they could get decent acts, such as at the Fairgrounds, and offer a bundle price, such as at the Fairgrounds, it would make a HUGE difference. But for the drive over there we would have bought the season pass again. Hopefully they will figure these things out sooner vs later. We have no desire to return to this venue. They have made no changes since they opened despite peoples critiques. Ruth Eckerd needs to get it together...

Ambiance is best part of the venue. Sound is great, and view is awesome. FL heat and humidity to be expected, so no complaints there and glad hydration rules have been reviewed and revised. But agree with other reviews that the venue needs to consider their restrictions and do a compare and contrast with other outside entertainment venues. Best practice might be to look at American Stage and their guidelines for allowed items. In particular for the lawn area. A ground level stadium seat or back support item does nothing to prevent others from enjoying the event and makes the comfort during the event better by 100 times. Please consider reviewing your allowed items. We'll pass on future events until the list becomes a little more reasonable. Please consider there are SOOOO many options in Tampa Bay for entertainment. Hope this venue can become a player.

The worst venue ever. Too crowded. Poor ventilation....why would you block the sea breeze (and view). Oh right money. Expensive food and water if you can brave the 30 min lines to get it. Can't bring anything in (i.e. water, sunscreen, etc.). If you go before sunset that will be in you eyes most of the show. Don't get lawn seats if you actually want to see the show. That said the regular seats are uncomfortable as well. Parking is horrible but that was always going to be the case because it wasn't planned for. So glad my tax dollar went to this shambles of a venue. They could fix some of these things but like my sidewalk Clearwater won't fix this either.

Have been to over 500 concerts easily and over 100+ venues....this was by far the worst venue I've ever been to for one basic reason - Bathrooms! This is a brand new venue and they literally have 2 bathrooms (M+F in each) in the ENTIRE venue! Was at a soldout show last weekend seeing the band Slightly Stoopid and it was absolutely ridiculous. The line for each Male and female restroom was easily 100 people deep - for Both bathrooms locations! Also we chose to go to the bathroom in the middle of a song to try and beat any potential lines LOL - I can't imagine what the lines would be like at intermission! It was a complete disaster! Then my GF and I asked security if we could leave and go to the bathroom and come back in? Of course that was a hard NO! So I ended up paying $250 for tickets and we left after an hour becasue this piece of crap venue can't have proper bathroom facilities based on the amount of people they sell tickets to! Whoever planned out this venue is a complete idiot! The line would have easily taken 45 mins to go through just to use a bathroom to pee. We spent 20 mins trying to find other bathrooms because we had to pee so bad lol. The other funny thing is that there is alcohol vendors every 20 feet but 2 bathrooms? Litertally, All they would need to provide is additional port-a-potties so people could actually relieve themselves! My suggestion is to save your money and go to a different venue, unless you want to be uncomfortable and wait in bathroom lines for a a third of a concert! Will never go back and was a complete waste of money! Something so basic that a brand new venue should have accounted for but clearly don't care! Ridiculous!

Looks like you have to purchase everything related to water at the venue despite some other comments. The official answer for bringing in water bottles at The Sound from Ruth Eckerd Hall today: "In an effort to alleviate the use of single use plastic in our facility that sits along the intracoastal, we do not allow unopened bottles into The Sound. Aluminum cups are available for $1 and can be purchased at any bar or concession stand and then used at any of the water stations. Tye-dye silicone cups, in addition to Tervis cups are also available for purchase and can be brought back in for a future visit. Cold, canned water is also available for purchase at the concession stand, all bars and carts, along with the Grab and Go stand."

I have to leave a review regarding my experience after the "Gutfeld" show on July 15 - I wasn't having any luck with Lyft. Drivers kept cancelling and soon I was by myself after all the other ride share customers had been picked up. It was after 10:30 pm and I was getting a little concerned. A couple of security guards were leaving the venue and I asked if guest services was still open - my phone had died and I was hoping to charge my phone and figure out another ride. One of the security guards, Bruce, offered to let me charge my phone in his car. He advised he lived in the same area of Palm Harbor that I lived in, was a retired police officer and offered to take me home. I felt I could trust him after speaking with him for a while - I accepted and was so relieved I was no longer waiting in the dark for a ride that might not ever have arrived. Bruce, wherever you are - thank you for your chivalry, kindness and patience - you offered to help when I know you were also tired after working - The Sound is in good hands with this kind soul :)