Jimmy Buffett, Gloria Estefan Discuss Miami Marine Stadium at Coral Gables Museum Event

Jimmy Buffett and Gloria Estefan joined NBC 6 anchor Jackie Nespral at the Coral Gables Museum Thursday to discuss the Miami Marine Stadium's legacy.

Gloria and Emilio Estefan shared a stage with Jimmy Buffett for the first time Thursday night to perform his classic “Margaritaville.”

The musical first happened as Gloria Estefan and Buffett joined forces to back the iconic South Florida fixture that gave them voice: Miami Marine Stadium.

They came together for a conversation on the stadium's legacy Thursday at the Coral Gables Museum – amid a renewed push to restore the venue on the water.

“This is going to be an amazing place for everyone that lives in this, not just in South Florida, but I think people around the world that are going to come to our little corner and really love this place," Estefan told NBC 6.

The sold-out event was moderated by NBC 6 anchor Jackie Nespral and also included a silent auction featuring original stadium seats signed by Buffett and Estefan.

Both musicians have performed at the stadium and have been longtime supporters of renovation efforts. In 2009, Buffett recorded a public service announcement calling for renovation and in May 2013, Estefan became the face of the National Trust's restoration campaign.

The 6,500-seat Virginia Key stadium has been closed since 1992 after it became damaged by Hurricane Andrew.

In July, Miami City Commissioners agreed to allow a nonprofit group to develop a plan to renovate it. The decision gave the Friends of Miami Marine Stadium control over it and gave the group the go-ahead to start raising the $30 million needed to restore and re-open it. The renovations would create a multipurpose venue for concerts, boat races, sailing regattas and community events.

The group has two years to raise money for the renovation.

Buffett is hoping to bring back the fun to what he calls one of South Florida's true treasures. He once famously jumped into the water at the stadium following one of his concerts.

“You can still have boat races, why not have paddle board races?" Buffett said. "I mean, there’s a great variety of things that are a part of the joy and fun of living in South Florida that can be expressed in that stadium."

Thursday's event kicks off the final weekend of the museum's "Concrete Paradise" exhibit which closes Sunday. The exhibit features video from Buffett's historic 1985 performance at Miami Marine Stadium. The museum is offering two-for-one adult admission to the exhibit throughout the weekend.

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