Photo by Franksgiving, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Al Lang Stadium has been standing on the St. Petersburg waterfront since 1947, and after a serious detour, it’s back to doing what it does best: hosting one of the more genuinely fun nights out in Tampa Bay. Hurricane storm surge sent more than 4 feet of water through the venue in 2024, forcing $3 million worth of repairs — new team store, a premium-ticket club, an upgraded fan zone. The Tampa Bay Rowdies return for their 2026 home opener on Saturday, March 21, against last year’s USL Championship Final winners, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
What makes Al Lang worth going to isn’t just the soccer. One review captured it well: “Here in the middle of downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, sits a former Minor League Baseball stadium that has been transformed into the home of a professional soccer team, where fans tailgate and march through the city center before singing the entire game in support of their favorite team.” Another put it more bluntly: “There are few sports experiences in Florida as rewarding and enjoyable as a Rowdies game. They really know how to put on a show, party it up, and have fun all at the same time.”
It’s also one of the more affordable nights out in the area. Tickets run as low as $20-26 for adults and $10 for kids, and concessions don’t gouge the way bigger venues do — beer runs $6-9, a burger is $6, a hot dog just $4.
The 7,227-seat stadium sits at 230 1st Street SE in downtown St. Petersburg. There’s no dedicated public parking lot (the main lot is reserved for season ticket holders), but plenty of garages and lots are within walking distance.
For a team and a stadium that were literally underwater less than two years ago, the return home clearly means something — one player put it simply after the flooding: “that relief from us to return back home and being able to just have your home routine… know that you’re playing in front of your home fans.”
230 1st Street SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.