Rise Up Concert Series to debut with concert at St. Pete Pier this weekend

St. Pete pier hosts first of 11 concerts at new venue

The first concert of the St. Pete Pier's inaugural Rise Up waterfront series is happening this weekend.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - On Saturday, fans will flock to the St. Pete Pier for the first of 11 concerts planned for the Pier over the next few months. They’re part of the first annual Rise Up Concert Series.

The Revivalists will kick things off Saturday evening. Crews put the finishing touches on the set for the show on Friday.

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LNE Presents is the event producer. Organizers said the series is a big step toward turning the Pier into a concert destination.

"Get a drink and go on the sand and be in the water," Ferdian Jap, the Pier’s Event Manager, said. "Listen to some amazing music. You really can't beat it," he said.

A concert a little over a year ago at Spa Beach Park on the Pier sparked the idea for the Rise Up Concert Series, according to Jap.

"Everybody that attended left a great comment saying that, 'hey, this is the most amazing venue they've ever been to around the country with 360 water views, a city skyline at night, the St. Pete Pier skyline at night. It’s just amazing,' and that clicked. I'm like, ‘Wait, this is an amazing venue, so we should try to do this,’" he said.

He said they tried to choose artists from a variety of genres, ranging from The Revivalists to Ludacris. They’re expecting about 60,000 people throughout the 11 shows. Jap said they chose a quieter time of year for the series with hopes that the concerts will help the local economy.

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"The busiest season here in the area is February, March, April, but during the holiday season, while there are a lot of locals that come to the Pier and downtown St. Pete, families and stuff, but less tourists," he said. "With the concert series, we're drawing a lot of people from the entire state of Florida. That's our marketing reach."

He said they're hoping to attract a lot of out-of-towners and potentially different tourist crowds that wouldn't have come if the concert weren't in St. Pete.

Jap said next year, their goal is to have a concert every weekend from November through January, except on holidays. He said they hope the Pier will become a sought-after music spot.

Gates open at 5 p.m. Saturday for The Revivalists’ show. Tickets are still available.

The following artists are scheduled to play at the Pier as part of the series: