Attendance, affordability and animal welfare in the spotlight as 2026 Calgary Stampede wraps

The 114th Calgary Stampede came to a close Sunday, with organizers estimating the 10-day event brought in more than 1.4 million visitors.

Attendance, affordability and animal welfare in the spotlight as 2026 Calgary Stampede wraps More than 1.4 million people attended this year's event, organizers estimate The 114th Calgary Stampede came to a close Sunday, with organizers estimating the 10-day event brought in more than 1.4 million guests. While not the highest attendance ever — 2024 and 2025 were the most and second-most attended Stampedes, respectively — the organization's CEO Joel Cowley is touting it as a major success. "We have a good chance that this will be the third-most attended Calgary Stampede in history," Cowley told reporters Sunday, pointing to estimates for that day's final attendance number.

"And so surpassing 1.4 million guests in 2026 is quite the achievement, given the ongoing economic uncertainty, the affordability concerns of Canadians that have persisted for quite some time." To address affordability concerns, the Stampede offered four free-admission days and extensive off-park community activations such as pancake breakfasts and downtown events. Cowley said about 70 per cent of attendees at this year's show were from Calgary and surrounding area, 11 per cent were from other parts of Alberta, 12 per cent came from elsewhere in Canada, and the remaining seven per cent visited internationally.

"It's that 30 per cent of outside visitation that generates the economic impact of the Calgary Stampede," Cowley said, pointing to last year's Stampede generating $389 million in economic activity across Alberta. Stampede president and board chair Stuart O'Connor highlighted numerous other factors that made this "an absolutely fantastic year" for the Calgary Stampede. "We kicked off our celebration this year with 125 entries in the largest Stampede parade in recent memory and hundreds of thousands of Calgarians," O'Connor said.

O'Connor pointed to this year's Calgary Stampede concert lineup, with over 100 artists taking the stage. "With the greatest music festival in the West, we've welcomed world-class performances across the Coca-Cola Stage, Nashville North and the Big Four Roadhouse," he said. "And we cannot forget A$AP Rocky, who played the Saddledome stage to a sold-out crowd, and Alanis Morissette, who played her highly anticipated show just last night."

And the fan-favourite Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races, Indigenous relay racing and other rodeo competitions continued to be a hit with attendees. "There is incredible enthusiasm for our rodeo and evening show performances in GMC Stadium, with record-setting audiences watching our world-class sport and entertainment," he said. But a Saturday night chuckwagon collision that resulted in one horse being injured has once again raised concerns about animal welfare at the event.

- Heart monitors for horses, shaded pens for bulls part of rodeo safety at Calgary Stampede - Steer, 2 horses euthanized at Calgary Stampede rodeo competition Cowley said an initial medical exam of the injured horse indicate there were no fractures, "but the injury is considered serious." "It is now being cared for at one of the finest veterinary clinics in Alberta and we're hopeful that that horse will be okay," Cowley said. The Vancouver Humane Society has long been an outspoken opponent of the rodeo and chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede.

"This incident is not really a surprise to us," said Emily Pickett, the humane society's campaign director. "We really see it as part of a tragic pattern of near-annual incidents and animal deaths." Last year, a horse was euthanized after a chuckwagon racing injury.

In 2024, three horses died after chuckwagon racing injuries, with a steer also being euthanized after a steer wrestling injury. "When horses are injured or dying almost every year at the Stampede chuckwagon races, we feel it can't be called an accident what it really is a predictable outcome of a sport that puts speed and spectacle ahead of animal safety," Pickett said. 'Bright future' ahead for Calgary Stampede Cowley says the new 20-year master plan for Stampede Park, unveiled in March, "really does set the Calgary Stampede up for a bright future."

That's supported by this year's strong attendance, positive guest feedback and ongoing improvements in security, crowd management, park cleanliness and presentations, he said. And with 11 acres of land set to be freed up in the coming years after the Scotiabank Saddledome is demolished, Cowley says the grounds will be better-equipped to handle large crowds. "I understand people are very sentimental about the Saddledome, I completely understand that," he said.

"But we don't need a Saddledome. We need land." With files from Chelsey Mutter and Jennifer Keiller