The Ritz Ybor

Went here for the after parties of smf the bouncers were rude and aggressive. The staff all around didn’t care when I told them that the back door bouncer tried to fight me when I caught him letting multiple girls for showing «things».

It has the best clubbing atmosphere. It is crowded. There are models?/artists? Dancing and singing on a big stage. They will invite u to go up or u can go up to dance. There are three areas playing different music. U can always go around and chill and enjoy different music or dance. There are two mini stages and one big stage in one of the room that u can go up to dance too. It is a cool club to spend your time.

Horrible experience… Purchased tickets but the Ritz over sold the show, so when I went to the bathroom I wasn’t allowed back in the main stage area (no warning). While I waited in the hall for my male friend (also using restroom) I was approached by security who threatened to kick me out unless I moved. I told him I was waiting for a friend and said I would meet my friend right here after using restroom (not to get separated) and wasn’t going to move. Security got in my face as my friend met me, and we were reluctantly hearded into the other room («not at capacity»). Then had to watch more than ½ the show on projection in side bar area. What a waste of $ and rude security. Never going to a show here again… It’s been about two years and happy to say I haven’t.

This is a great venue for smaller concerts and is located in the heart of Ybor City. Last night I went to see Billy Currington after getting tickets for only $ 12 on Groupon! If you buy a Groupon, you have to go to Will Call (located on the outside of the venue) before entering. The line moved really quickly and I was inside in no time at all. The walkway into the stage area is really beautiful. Very elegant and historical. There are bars on each side, which are high priced but that’s what is to be expected at concerts. The bathrooms are very clean and maintained well. They are large so even the line for the ladies room moves quickly!
The main room is relatively large (similar to the former Amphitheater) and also has two levels. I think the upper level is VIP, but I’m sure that varies based on the event. There is also a bar in the back (closer to the entrance). The stage isn’t far off the floor so you get a really good view if you stand up front. I’m very short and I don’t think the back of the room would have been a very good experience for me. There is not any seating and general admission is standing room only. I got up to the front by simply making my way through the crowd.
The show was outstanding. Great acoustics and lighting! I had a great time and would definitely attend another event here! In fact, I’m keeping my eye out for others.

A great venue but a bit pricey. They also do not offer any place to set down your overpriced drinks and dance. The place is great but the need to open up some of the tables that are there so that other people can actually use them. We were there and only 1 of all the tables were used. They would not allow anyone to use them unless they were VIP.

Great location for music events. Great place to see a show. Looks like an old historic movie house place. This is a great place. Wonderful theater from long ago and the acoustics are great.
Bar looks very well stocked but not if you want a no alcoholic beer & non alcoholic beverages. It has a great concert hall. Didn’t know they turned it into a club on the weekends, and I heard some great music coming from the club so I decided to go in.
The cover charge wasn’t that much and the people were friendly. I like the whole entire set up… they had 3 different areas (hip-​hop, old school, and techno) and you have an option to choose which area you wanted to go into. It’s really spacious once you get inside and also in the techno area. The Hip Hop section and Old School section was a little small. I had lots of fun and all of the DJs in each area kept me dancing all night. I couldn’t stay in one area for long because each area was playing really good music.

Way back in 2009 before deadmau5 got super popular, I saw him in Pontiac, MI at this place call the Crowfoot Ballroom. It was a long skinny layout and deadmau5 played almost all my favorite songs. That show was very memorable. In 2010, I saw deadmau5 here. His line-​up did not include all the songs that I love, but oh boy did the Rtiz Ybor put on a better show! The layout allowed everyone to get pretty close. The crowd was so fun and friendly. The Rtiz Ybor really put on a good show.

Have been here numerous times for shows some of which include Lady Gaga, Robyn, La Roux, Purity Ring, and The xx, and I just recently saw Bryson Tiller in concert as well a few weeks ago. They tend to host alot of up and coming artists which is great if you can catch them before they blow up.
The location is great and highly convenient! It’s situated right next to a parking garage, so it’s a hop, skip, and a jump from the front door-​which is a godsend if you are wearing heels. Walking the cobbly streets of Ybor is a tough feat to do in stilleto’s kudos to those that brave it.
I love going here when it’s not crowded, because even though they have three bars they are often crowded and can be hard to get service at. Also, since it’s standing room only it can be a little hard to see if you don’t get a good spot right away.
Despite the venues minor faults, it’s hard to resist paying this place a visit because of the great varieties of music they are constantly featuring. I think I’ll have to spring for the extra VIP tickets to sit on the balcony and enjoy the music from the second floor from now on, and try something new.

The last time I was in this place dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Ok, it wasn’t that long ago but the business was called Masquerade back then, which means it was at least ten years ago. I really like what they did with the renovation of the building since then. I have never enjoyed general admission concerts so when I learned that there was a VIP balcony here I was all over that. It really doesn’t add that much to your ticket (11 bucks I think) and I felt it was completely worth it. There are several (unassigned) stools to sit on and a shelf to put your drink on. I loved it up there! There is a guard blocking the entrance to the balcony so make sure you get a *second* armband at the front door (they initially didn’t give me one!). I did spot some people sitting at a few tables on the first floor. Not sure if those are assigned or not. I thought the sound and the distance from the stage were all great. This is a great venue because no matter where you are in the room you’re really not that far from the artist.
Why, why, why do some concert venues insist on having bathroom attendants? It’s the most useless and awkward «service». When I was starting to wash my hands he came running over offering me soap. When I politely refused and tried to use the soap dispenser in front of me I was informed «That one is empty.» Of course it was. So I had to use what he was offering and would feel like a dirtbag if I didn’t tip. Pretty shady.
Speaking of shady, do what I did and completely ignore the people trying to direct you to park in the dirt lots across the street. The Ritz is right next to a covered parking garage and it costs $ 4 for the length of a standard show.

Excited to finally have checked out the Ritz Ybor last night for the Saved by the Ball 90’s party! It was a super fun experience.
Checking in with my tickets was super fast even though we did have to stand in a line while it was raining and chilly out.
When you first walk in, you can tell this is a Historical theater. It was built in the early 1900s so that was pretty cool. If you want to know its history, it’s listed on the website. It became Ritz Ybor in 2008.
On the right side you will see that there’s a bar area there. It was the smoking side for sure! I left really quick. Happy that they have their own section so it’s good for both groups of people — smoking and non smoking peeps. To the right afterwards are the bathrooms. They are pretty well kept. On the left side across from the bathrooms are the stairs to go upstairs. Not sure how you get to go upstairs, and if you need special tickets, but I’d like to check it out next time.
The main area was a good size and had two more bars inside, one for the special VIP peeps and the other main bar. There was a main big stage as well as a few other platforms if people wanted to go up there. I did love the set up, and our Saved By the Ball 90s party a lot and look forward to other events like it!

I’ve been here before for a few venues/​events. The most recent events I’ve been to here was the Cocktails and Couture venue.
This location has many compartments for moving around. When you first walk in to the main hall where you have two rooms on either side, each with a full bar and different styles associated with them. My favorite room here is the red room with the fancy, vintage style chandeliers on the right as you walk in from the main hall. That room features beautiful multi-​textured red and black walls, orange/​red lighting, the stage usually used for DJ, and plenty of fancy cushioned seating. The other bar area across the main hall to the left is less eventful, but still good enough for mingling around.
Beyond in the main hall and the two rooms is the main event room which features the main large stage and plenty of standing/​seating room and a full bar which is opposite side of the room from the stage. Depending on the venue involved, there are varying levels of hygiene here. Thankfully, I’ve been to venues where everything was on the cleaner side.
All in all, I don’t really have many complaints about this location as it really depends on the venue it hosts.

This place is fun and not annoying. Everyone is just here to have fun and be themselves. Not some social club hangout where everyone is just trying to get laid or impress others. You can really just go in here and be who you truly are, dance however you want and no one will even care.
I’ll stay out of the hip hop room though. Stinks horribly and twerking is just stupid.
They lounge room is chill if you trying to slow down and take a break. Chit chat with friends.
Typically I would roll eyes as this is my preferred place to smile and grind my teeth and dance and touch stuff.

The Ritz Ybor is located on the corner of 7^th Ave. and 15^th St. It is right on the main strip of Ybor, conveniently beside a parking garage for easy access. I have seen dozens of shows at the Ritz and loved each one! It can get crowded when the concerts sell out, but isn’t shoving people to keep your spot at the front half of the fun?
The ticket prices are reasonable and the setting is pretty intimate. It isn’t the biggest venue, but it does have charater. From the checkerboard tiles to the plush curtains, you can feel the history of the Ritz all around you. The building was remodeled in recent years and they certainly paid attention to detail. I think my favorite part is the giant chandelier in the foyer! There is a bar inside and you’ll find a wide variety of drink options. From what I hear, The Ritz also does private events that look wonderful. I think it’s great that we have a smaller venue like this central to so many popular areas in Tampa.

Intimate cozy indoor venue for smaller night concerts with air conditioning nestled 10min from downtown in Ybor city. Seems to be more of a hipster punk scene with some rap concerts rolling through. There are no longer marathon concerts here. Just 2 – 3 hour shows so there are no good vendors and they have regular bathrooms, no porto potties. Came here for a Sinatra ballroom event drop kick Murphy’s, and Juicy J. Other Concerts past and future include: Ciara, 2chainz, Taking Back Sunday, Bad Religion, Olly Murs, indigo girls, asking Alexanderz, Aaron Carter, filthy Richard, paper tongues, and many other punk bands. Comfort ⁶⁄₁₀ with some vip designated seating, no laying in grass, AC, Food and drink wait times are short 8/​10, bathrooms are not port of potties 10/​10, Visibility of events is not the best with no stadium seating but it is a small venue ⁶⁄₁₀. Will be coming back again soon! :)

I’ve been to The Ritz a few times for club parties and concerts. Both times I’ve generally had a really good time. The venue is big and can host lots of people with bars also located in the front. The acoustics for concerts are awesome — I saw a metal band here and really enjoyed the sounds there. The Ritz hosts a ton of bands throughout the year, many through Daddy Kool Records — check out their website if you want to see upcoming bands coming to town.

The Ritz Ybor is a nightclub/​concert venue where you can attend shows put on by internationally known DJs and artists.
It has an interesting set up with two side rooms, the main stage and an upstairs area. Depending on the night, they might have multiple genres of music playing under one roof, so you can bounce around or commit to one location for the night. Makes hanging out with big groups with varying tastes a bit more fun. The main room is much larger than it appears from the outside — and the narrow construction of the rooms and hallways leading up to it adds to the unexpected size of the main room.
That said, the hallways and walkways between the rooms, restroom area and upstairs area are very small, and due to the sheer number of people during these events, these areas get very congested. That, along with how dark the club is, can have you easily lose your party. The bathrooms are what you would expect in a nightclub — they serve their purpose but you definitely want to be in and out as fast as possible.
The crowd is going to be young, unless the concert is for a different demographic than what they usually host. Drink prices are not disagreeable, there doesn’t seem to be smoking allowed inside (which is a huge plus in Ybor), and the staff seem about as friendly as one would expect from nightclub staff. Parking is the same as everywhere else in Ybor — just use the big public garage off 15^th and avoid the shady, expensive lots that seem closer.

The Ritz Ybor is unlike any other venue I’ve visited in the Ybor area. But before I get to how it is different, let me start by giving you the similarities.
Most of the venues in Ybor acoustically offer a comparable sound to the Ritz. Those venues also serve pretty much the same drinks as the Ritz and offer the same intimate setting (sometimes even more so). All the Ybor venues seem to be able to book a similar number of national, regional and local acts. I wouldn’t give the nod to one over another when it comes to booking bands. Prices seem to be in the same general ballpark. Parking? The Ybor venues all share the same parking garages and street parking, so that’s a wash.
So what makes the Ritz Ybor such a unique venue? Its bathroom. Ever since I first stepped foot in the Ritz’s bathroom I have been enamored by it. It is one of the few bathrooms in this part of town that doesn’t make me feel like I’ve been transported to some dimly lit back alley where at any second the police will walk up and catch me with my pants down. The Ritz’s bathroom is clean, devoid of patron created graffiti and spacious. It is pretty well lit, I have no problem finding my way around. A lot of what makes The Ritz’s bathroom so special is due to there being an attendant working in it. After finishing your business, the attendant will assist in freshening you up. Need a towel? They’ve got a towel. Need some soap? They can handle that too. Need to properly dispose of something? Drop a line to the attendant, and he’ll tell you where to put it. All that is asked in return is a small tip to show that attendant what a fine job he is doing in helping make the Ritz’s bathroom one of the most memorable in the city.

This building was built in 1917 and it is really a cool historic place. Interesting details are everywhere-​the floor tiling, the chandeliers, etc. The venue is split into 3 sections — bar to the right with a small intimate stage, bar to the left, and then huge bar/​auditorium taking up the entire back space.
We came during the annual Tropical Heatwave put on by radio station 88.5 WMNF to see the band EMEFE — an 8-​piece funk-​pop band from New York. They put on a dynamite show with plenty of energy, interesting, unique songs, and plenty of crowd interaction. Both sound and lighting were excellent.
The bar is general admission, so it’s easy to get right up front and dance with your favorite band. Special «VIP» seats are available for a cost during most concerts, but we were able to relax there during this event, and the sightline was perfect.
Drinks, while not expensive, were tiny. They had plenty of bartenders on, though, and there are many bars placed throughout the venue. I think this is a great spot to check out up and coming talent!

I have been to The Ritz a few times based on recommendation and at first I was not impressed. There was a crazy long line and a lot of belligerent people in it. I ended up going to another bar in the meantime until it shortened. Eventually, we got in and the drinks were okay at best, the floors were gross, and the bathrooms were worse despite having attendants. Worst of all, a fight between two guys occurred led to me almost getting punched as I came out of the bathroom. The only thing at the time that impressed me was the back room with the stage. The lighting was amazing and the music and the entire vibe reminded me of a European disco. The back bar seemed to be more organized as well.
I decided to give it a try again during the Friday the 13^th party they had last month. We got into the venue quickly, the crowded looked to be having fun but less abrasive than before, and I had a pretty good time. I enjoyed the three dance rooms and moved around to all of them several times. I even braved a dirty martini at the back bar. The bartender knew how to properly make one and served it in a real stemmed glass which was nice.
I am glad I decided to wait to review this place after giving it another chance. Every place is bound to have its bad nights, but this was a pretty cool place to hang out.

This place is such a great event and music venue. I’ve seen a few acts here and the standing room up by the stage is not hard to get up to. When I saw Erasure a couple years back, I really did get right up there and loved that show!
Before some shows, they have a separate room with a large bar with an opener, which is always nice. It’s a neat set up and a great location for this kind of venue.
They usually have a couple of food vendors available to eat something, although not the best choices (like hot dogs, etc)…but at least it’s something.
Ticket prices aren’t horrible, but different based on the artist (s).
Great place to see a show and even have dinner before or walk 7^th Ave when you’re done.