The History of Ferg's Pavilion
Ferg's Sports Bar
We can’t talk about Ferg’s Pavilion without starting with where it all began, at Ferg’s Sports Bar.
Ferg’s Sports Bar, aka “Ferg’s”, is a cornerstone of St. Petersburg’s cultural and entertainment landscape and one of the most recognized sports, concerts, and special events destinations in the country.
Founded in 1992 by Mark Ferguson, a former Pinellas County schoolteacher, Ferg’s began as a small neighborhood bar operating out of a converted historic gas station along Central Avenue—long before the surrounding area developed into the thriving downtown district it is today.
Built on vision, persistence, and community support, Ferg’s grew alongside the city itself. The arrival of Major League Baseball at nearby Tropicana Field in 1998 transformed the location into a premier gathering point for large-scale events, with game-day crowds regularly exceeding 17,000 and reaching over 30,000 during major postseason moments.
Over the past three decades, Ferg’s has expanded into a 70,000-square-foot multi-level entertainment complex, incorporating numerous bars, event spaces, and interactive attractions. The venue has earned national recognition, including being voted the #1 local sports bar in the nation by USA Today.
More than just a venue, Ferg’s is a curated collection of local history—featuring repurposed materials and artifacts from across the Tampa Bay region—reflecting a deep connection to the community it serves.
Ferg's Pavilion: The Evolution
While live music and large-scale events have always been part of Ferg’s identity, ranging from World Series celebrations and Super Bowl events to city-wide block parties, the development of Ferg’s Pavilion marks the venue’s evolution into a dedicated, full-scale concert and festival environment.
What began as occasional live performances organically grew into a consistent demand for larger, more structured productions. That momentum, combined with landmark performances and high-attendance events, led to the establishment of a permanent outdoor stage, integrated production infrastructure, and scalable event layouts.
This change was accelerated by high-attendance live events and landmark performances, including George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, which demonstrated the site’s ability to support full-scale concert production.
Today, Ferg’s Pavilion operates as a flexible outdoor concert venue that supports national touring artists, multi-artist festivals, high-capacity public events, and broadcast and specialty productions.
With the ability to expand beyond its core footprint into surrounding areas, including full street closures, Ferg’s Pavilion offers a unique hybrid model that blends the energy of a high-volume entertainment complex with the functionality of a modern concert venue.
