Mahaffey Theater, Concert hall and performing arts center in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, US

Mahaffey Theater is a performing arts center on the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront, with 2,031 seats in European box-style tiers, a ballroom and, since October 2023, the Sonata restaurant in part of the lobby. Its light-colored facade of large square panels carries a black sign with a gold script M above the words MAHAFFEY THEATER, and a flat-roofed portico of tall rectangular pillars stands to the right.

The theater was built in 1965 as part of the larger Bayfront Center complex and served as an important venue for the region. Major renovations during the 1980s and 2000s updated the building and improved its capabilities for presenting contemporary productions.

The theater's name honors a local St. Petersburg family who contributed to its capital campaign. Its stages carry Broadway, classical, pop, rock, country, Americana/folk, jazz, comedy and dance, and it is a home venue of the Florida Orchestra. The Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts runs Class Acts, bringing schoolchildren to in-theater performances and in-school outreach.

The theater is located downtown on First Street South and is easy to reach by car or public transportation from different parts of the city. Visitors should plan to arrive early and explore the surrounding waterfront area, which offers dining and other cultural attractions nearby.

The Bill Edwards Foundation supports an educational program that brings local school children to see performances and experience live arts in the venue. This outreach initiative demonstrates how the theater serves as a cultural resource beyond traditional ticketed audiences.