The St. Pete Pier is about to host one of the most visually intense sporting events the city has ever seen.
On June 5 and 6, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will make its way to downtown St. Pete for the competition’s only United States stop of the 2026 season. The global event will transform the waterfront near the Pier into an open air arena where elite divers from around the world will launch themselves from platforms suspended high above Tampa Bay.
The event marks the first time the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has ever come to Florida’s Gulf Coast, placing St. Pete alongside international destinations that have previously hosted the series, including Sydney, Copenhagen, Boston and Polignano a Mare in Italy.
Temporary diving platforms will rise nearly 90 feet above the water for the men’s division and around 70 feet for the women’s division. Athletes perform a combination of flips, twists, and rotations before entering the water at speeds that can exceed 50 miles per hour. Precision matters at every stage of the dive, especially considering the impact forces involved at those heights.
The setting itself is a major reason the event feels so anticipated already. The St. Pete Pier has become one of the city’s defining gathering spaces, regularly hosting concerts, races, festivals, fitness events and large waterfront activations throughout the year. Red Bull Cliff Diving brings a completely different scale and visual element to the downtown waterfront while still fitting naturally into the city’s outdoor culture and energy.
Spectators are expected to line the Pier, surrounding parks and nearby waterfront areas throughout the weekend, with additional viewing expected from boats anchored in Tampa Bay. Organizers anticipate tens of thousands of attendees across the two day event as fans gather to watch some of the best divers in the world compete against the backdrop of the downtown skyline.
Beyond the competition itself, the weekend is expected to bring a significant boost to downtown businesses, restaurants, hotels and bars as visitors travel into the city for the event. Major waterfront events have become increasingly tied to St. Pete’s identity over the past several years, and the addition of a globally recognized series like Red Bull Cliff Diving continues that momentum heading into summer.
The event will be free for the public to attend, with additional details regarding viewing areas, schedules and weekend programming expected to be announced closer to June.
For one weekend, the skyline, bay and pier will become part of an international sports stage that few cities ever get to host. In a city already known for turning its waterfront into a centerpiece for community events, Red Bull Cliff Diving may become one of the summer’s most unforgettable views.