The world’s largest spearfishing tournament is coming to St. Pete this weekend, perfectly timed alongside one of the region’s hottest new destinations. SkyBeach Hotel & Marina, which just opened this summer at 6800 Sunshine Skyway Lane South, is primed to be this weekend’s hotspot for St. Pete Open fans and fishermen alike, thanks to a packed out lineup of specials and events.

The celebrated new hotel is a destination unto itself, housed along crystal blue waters and a beautiful white sand beach, complete with a massive pool, SkyBar tiki bar on the beach, great food and drink, shopping, live events, and plenty more. This weekend, they’re going all out to welcome the 59th annual spearfishing tournament back to the city.

We’ll get to more events below, but perhaps the best deal is their special discounted Day Passes this weekend. Not only does the $40 pass (typically $50) get you access to the pool and beach, it comes with a $40 voucher for food and drink from SkyBar and the on-site Salty Pelican kitchen. So if you were planning to eat and drink on your afternoon by the water (and who isn’t), the Day Pass is effectively a free ticket to one of the most scenic new spots in town. Day Passes can be purchased in person at SkyBeach Hotel or SkyBar.

And if you really want to get in on the action, you can stay all weekend. SkyBeach Hotel is offering discounted room rates from 8/14-8/19, providing easy access to all the action, as well as all the amenities of the beautiful new resort. Use code STPETEOPEN2024 to get 15% off all guest rooms this Wednesday-Monday.

Live music with beach and sunset views

Of course, one of our favorite things about SkyBeach and SkyBar is how the beautiful grounds have now become one of the best (and certainly among the most scenic) live music venues in town. Intimate performances on the beach, with a drink in hand as the sun sets, are hard to beat.

Luckily, SkyBeach has a full weekend of music lined up, day and night, to keep the party going even after the fishing is done for the day. The highlight is Tru Phonic performing in the sand on Saturday night from 6-10 pm, a truly can’t-miss show. To make it sweeter, admission to the concerts on the beach at SkyBar is completely free – no Day Pass needed.

More weekend live performances include:

• 8/15 (Thursday) Shawn Kyle 6-9 pm
• 8/16 (Friday) Shawn Sheller Trio 6-9 pm
• 8/18 (Sunday) Ed John 1-4 pm

If you’re thinking about a stay, or curious about visiting SkyBeach for a day, we definitely recommend reading our review from their grand opening. A tease of what to expect: “SkyBeach is truly a new, shining beacon in the ‘Burg, and as its name suggests, is a marriage of heaven and earth. And while we expect many out-of-state travelers to book a suite here, SkyBeach is perfect for a local’s staycation as well. As per their slogan, SkyBeach is ‘positively St. Pete. Simply yours. Where doers and dreamers go to escape…‘”

Learn more at skybeachhotel.com, and while you’re there, be sure to check out local men’s and women’s boutique Atlas Body + Home, which just opened inside SkyBeach Hotel.