Ben Folds Five to Return April 17 at The BayCare Sound

Ben Folds Five will make their return to the stage in 2027 with live shows planned across the U.S., the trio's first tour in 15 years. Highlights include headline shows and top-billed festival appearances beginning April 12 at Knoxville, TN's Tennessee Theatre and continuing across the country throughout 2027.

The tour includes a stop at The BayCare Sound on Saturday, April 17 at 8 pm. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 23 at 10 am. For a complete list of tour dates and more information, visit www.officialbenfoldsfive.com.

About Ben Folds Five

Formed in 1993 in the alternative rock breeding ground of Chapel Hill, NC, Ben Folds Five were three guys, zero guitars, and one glaring math problem. Led by piano-pounding maestro Ben Folds, with Robert Sledge on bass and Darren Jessee on drums, the trio dubbed their distinctive sound 'punk rock for sissies' – a smart-alecky collision of spaz rock, power pop, irresistible 70s AM melodies, pseudo-jazz, and copious lyrical mischief that proved you didn't need aggro guitars to make a glorious '90s noise.

Event Details

Tickets starting at $40.50 and a limited number of Elevated Sound Upgrades are available at The Raymond James Central Ticket Office at Ruth Eckerd Hall, by calling 727-791-7400 or visiting www.RuthEckerdHall.com. The Raymond James Central Ticket Office at Ruth Eckerd Hall is located at 1111 N. McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater and is open Tuesday through Thursday, from noon to 6 pm, Friday, from 10 am to 6 pm, and Saturday, from noon to 6 pm. The BayCare Sound Ticket Window will open two hours prior to show time.

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, manages and operates the City of Clearwater-owned 2,200-seat Ruth Eckerd Hall, the 200-seat Murray Theatre, the 250-capacity ballroom, Margarete Heye Great Room, the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts, the 750-seat Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, The BayCare Sound located at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater and Ruth Eckerd Hall On The Road. In 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, Ruth Eckerd Hall was awarded a Top Workplaces honor by The Tampa Bay Times. Ruth Eckerd Hall was the only entertainment venue to make the list all five years. In 2022, The Tampa Bay Business Journal named Ruth Eckerd Hall a Top Workplace Honoree. The organization's mission is: Changing lives through the performing arts.

The BayCare Sound, located at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater, near the intercostal waterway, opened June 28, 2023 and is owned by the City of Clearwater. Ruth Eckerd Hall manages and operates the venue, which features 4,000 covered seats, with an additional 5,000 seated lawn and views of Clearwater sunsets. On March 7, 2024, the Clearwater City Council approved by unanimous consent the official naming sponsor for the city's outdoor music venue to be BayCare, the leading, not-for-profit health care system in West Central Florida that connects individuals and families to nationally ranked, high quality health care. The new name of the venue is The BayCare Sound. Industry trade publication Pollstar named The BayCare Sound the #1 amphitheater in Tampa, #2 in Florida, #2 in the United States and #3 in the world of amphitheaters with a capacity of 10,000 people or less based on gross ticket sales. In September 2024, IEBA (International Entertainment Buyers Association) recognized The BayCare Sound as a finalist for 2024 Amphitheater of the Year. In 2026, The BayCare Sound was named Best Live Music Venue by Visit St. Pete Clearwater for the third consecutive year.