Duke Energy Center for the Arts - Mahaffey Theater
2,031 seats and European box seating on the St. Pete waterfront since 1965
Upcoming Live Music (3)
Sun, Aug 27:30 PM 2026 WOODZ WORLD TOUR 'Archive. 1' IN US Wed, Aug 58:00 PM Mon Laferte - Femme Fatale Tour Sun, Aug 167:00 PM Gipsy Kings featuring Tonino Baliardo- Historia TourAbout Duke Energy Center for the Arts - Mahaffey Theater
The Mahaffey opened in spring 1965 as the theatre half of the Bayfront Center, a civic entertainment complex on the St. Petersburg waterfront that paired it with a 7,000-seat arena. The arena is long gone. The theatre outlived it by decades.
A 1987–88 renovation gave the room its current name, honoring a St. Petersburg family whose gift anchored the capital campaign, and it became the Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater in 2013.
Inside are 2,031 seats arranged with European box-style seating, plus ballroom space and windows onto Tampa Bay that most theatres in the country would trade something significant for. It's a room built for sound rather than spectacle — the kind of place touring artists on a theatre run specifically ask for.
The programming swings wide: Gipsy Kings, Mon Laferte, WOODZ, symphony dates, Broadway tours and one-off residencies all share the same calendar.
Only Here
- Opened in spring 1965 as part of the Bayfront Center complex
- The 7,000-seat arena it was attached to has been demolished; the theatre remains
- 2,031 seats with European box-style seating
- Renamed the Mahaffey in 1987-88 for the family behind its capital campaign
- Took the Duke Energy Center for the Arts name in 2013
- Sits directly on the St. Petersburg waterfront with bay views from the lobby
Plan Your Night
400 1st St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701