Shops and walkways at Pier Park in the evening
Things to do

Nightlife in Panama City Beach

The bars we checked are mostly beach restaurants with a bar and live music: Schooners on the sand, the pier bar at Pineapple Willy's, Runaway Island and Margaritaville at Pier Park. None of them publishes a cover charge. Alcohol is banned on the beach all of March, and glass is banned on the sand all year.

Bars and live music
Checked November 2, 20266 barsNo beach alcohol in March

Pier Park · Photo: Olin Gilbert / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 · Credits

The short answer

Where to go out

From the bars' own websites on November 2, 2026. Few of them publish full hours or age rules, so call ahead if you're bringing anyone under 21.

  • A drink at sunset on the sandSchoonersNo cover publishedOn the beach; a cannon fires at sunset every evening.
  • Live music with a date on itRunaway IslandNo cover publishedGene Mitchell plays 5–8 pm on set dates in November and December 2026.
  • A night out with the kidsMargaritaville at Pier ParkNo cover publishedAll ages at all times; dancing and live music after dinner.
  • A bar on the pierPineapple Willy'sNo cover publishedWilly's Pier Bar over the beach; kids welcome, open until 10 pm (may change by season).
  • A late night with live musicTootsie's Orchid LoungeNo cover, except special eventsBar open Thursday to Sunday until 3 am; 21+ with ID after 8 pm.
Bars and live music

Beach bars and music venues

Five of the six are restaurants with a bar; the Sandpiper Beacon Tiki Bar is a resort beach bar. Only Runaway Island lists upcoming music dates.

  • Schooners

    Address5121 Gulf DriveWhat it isBeach club and restaurant on the sand, with the Hill BarGood to knowOpens daily at 11 am; its pages disagree on closing time. A cannon fires at sunset. No dated music calendar. 850-235-3555

  • Pineapple Willy's (Willy's Pier Bar)

    Address9875 South Thomas DriveWhat it isRestaurant with a bar on the historic pier over the beach

    Good to know: Daily 11 am–10 pm, may change by season. Kids welcome in the pier bar; every frozen drink can also be made without alcohol. Beach gates can close at peak times, such as spring break. (850) 235-0928

  • Runaway Island

    Address14521 Front Beach RoadWhat it isBeach restaurant and grill with a deck and boardwalk to the sand

    Good to know: Live music: Gene Mitchell, 5–8 pm every Friday and Saturday from November 6 to December 26, 2026, Christmas Day included. Other hours not published. 850-634-4884

  • Margaritaville

    AddressPier Park, 16230 Front Beach RoadWhat it isRestaurant with upper and lower decks overlooking the Gulf; dancing and live music lateGood to knowAll ages at all times; dogs on a leash on the patio. Stilt walkers daily 5–8 pm. Its pages give three sets of hours. (850) 235-7870

  • Hammerhead Fred's

    Address8752 Thomas DriveWhat it isSeafood restaurant and bar with live music and an outdoor pavilion

    Good to know: No ticket needed for the pavilion, the bar says; special events such as its Halloween party are ticketed. Hours not published. Its winter program (January and February, no year given) adds live music Thursday and Friday. (850) 233-3907

  • Sandpiper Beacon Tiki Bar

    Address17403 Front Beach RoadWhat it isBeach bar behind the resortGood to knowSeasonal live music, family karaoke and happy hour; open to the public, not only to resort guests, says the resort. (850) 234-2154

Restaurants

Clubs

Big clubs: Tootsie's, La Vela and Spinnaker

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge lists its Panama City Beach bar at 8795 Thomas Drive, 850-391-5268, on its Florida website. Hours there: Thursday to Sunday, bar 11 am–3 am, kitchen 11 am–10 pm; closed Monday to Wednesday. The same site also promises live music 7 days a week. Families are welcome until 8 pm; after that, you must be 21 or older with a valid photo ID. There's no cover, except for special events. The tourism office lists three floors and two stages, and its article from May 2026 still puts Tootsie's in Pier Park.

Club La Vela may not be open. It has been reported closed since Hurricane Michael in 2018, no reopening has been announced, and its website wouldn't load. Spinnaker Beach Club, the former club at 8795 Thomas Drive, still shows events without a year on its website; Tootsie's now gives that address as its own. Don't plan a night around La Vela or Spinnaker.

Sharky's Beachfront Restaurant, which the tourism office lists for live bands on its deck, is at 15201 Front Beach Road, (850) 235-2420. Its music page names bands but lists no upcoming dates.

Sources: Visit Panama City Beach: Tootsie's, Sharky's.

Rules

Drinking rules

State law sets the basics; the city and county add the beach rules. Breaking the March beach ban can mean a fine of up to $500, up to 60 days in jail, or both.

Spring break rules in detail

Plan your ride back: bus, bike and parking

Sources: Florida Statutes § 562.14, § 562.111, § 316.1936; city code chapters 3, 4 and 7; Bay County code chapters 3 and 5; Visit Panama City Beach FAQ.

Bar hours
Florida law bans serving alcohol between midnight and 7 am unless a city or county ordinance sets other hours. Some bars publish later hours: Tootsie's lists its bar open until 3 am. We haven't confirmed the city and county cutoffs, so ask the bar about last call
Under 21
Possessing alcohol under 21 is a misdemeanor, a crime in Florida; the only exceptions are staff serving it at work and students tasting it in class
In the car
No open containers for the driver or passengers, also when parked or stopped on a public road. An open container in a locked glove box, locked trunk or other locked area away from the seats doesn't count as the driver's. Exempt are passengers of a bus or a hired vehicle whose driver holds a commercial driver license with a passenger endorsement, and passengers in a self-contained motor home over 21 feet
On the beach in March
No alcohol on the beach from March 1 to 31, under the city code and, outside city limits, the county code; in the county's beach zone, open containers are also banned in parking lots. The city can extend the ban by a council resolution
Glass
No glass containers on the sand, all year
City beaches
No alcohol all year at the city's beach accesses and on the sand within 400 feet of the Russell-Fields City Pier. The tourism office says you may drink on the beach 11 months a year; the city code is stricter there
ID
Carry a government photo ID if you drink on the beach