TAMPA, Fla. – The energy was unmatched as crowds gathered at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on April 5 for a free Super Saturday Concert, where GloRilla performed as part of the NCAA women’s Final Four tournament activities. Presented by AT&T, the event brought families, fans, and music lovers together to celebrate basketball, music, culture, and community.
The gates opened at 6 p.m. with DJ ReRe playing at 7 p.m. and GloRilla performing at 8 p.m. DJ ReRe got the crowd building with anticipation for GloRilla’s performance.
“I’ve been waiting for this since I’ve seen it on Facebook a few weeks back,” said concert attendee Renee Minnefield-Black. “I’m excited to see my girl GloRilla.”
As the sun started to set, the park transformed into a vibrant festival space. Laughter consumed the area, people danced as they pleased, and areas where drinks and food were available for purchase.
The food truck vendors at the concert included Just Smokin’ BBQ, The Mets Machine, Kebablicious, and Craving Donuts. A drinking station and free water cart were offered for those who needed relief from the Florida heat.
Concert attendee Lakiesha Chandler said she was grateful for the accessibility of the event.
“With hard times, most family events you have to pay for, so I really appreciate [GloRilla] giving back to her community with a free concert,” Chandler said.
Laura Gerken, a volunteer at the GloRilla concert, was excited to be able to assist with the festivities. Gerken’s job was to greet people who were coming through the gates, assist those who needed to find the bathrooms, and answer questions if needed.
“Once I heard that there is going to be a GloRilla concert, I was like, obviously, I need to go,” Gerken said. “I love the girls, I love the rap, you know, I love to support the ladies, and they are out here killing it.”
William Mann, a fire marshal who has been with the fire department for 23 years, said he enjoyed seeing everyone come together.
“It’s good for the community; it brings a lot of people into downtown to celebrate the NCAA Final Four women’s basketball tournament,” Mann said. “It brings a lot of business to all the small businesses within Tampa.”
The concert was one of the many events taking place as part of the NCAA women’s Final Four tournament. The Final Four was on Friday, April 4, the first game was the Texas Longhorns and South Carolina Gamecocks while the second was UConn Huskies and UCLA Bruins. With UConn and South Carolina being the two winners of the Final Four, the women’s championship game was on Sunday, April 6, with UConn being the 2025 women’s championship winner.
Ahmad Keys, a self-proclaimed music nut and middle school teacher, said he had not been to a hip-hop concert in nearly 20 years.
“A lot of kids at my middle school listen to her, so I wanted to go to the concert and check it out,” Keys said. “It’s also a free concert, so why not, you know.”
Even those who were completely unfamiliar with GloRilla or DJ ReRe found themselves amazed by the atmosphere.
Shane James, who originally came to the hands-off rally at the downtown center, saw the concert in the paper and decided to come with his husband.
“[I] was not expecting the concert to be this big and free,” James said. “We’re just here soaking it all in.”
As the music echoed through the park, the crowd swayed and cheered into the night. The concert was a perfect blend of hoops, unity, and community.
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Photo courtesy of Emily McLaughlin