This year is third-most attended Calgary Stampede in history, says CEO

Senior leadership from the Calgary Stampede looked back on this year's festivities that welcomed over 1.4 million guests over 10 days

The sun rose on the final day of Stampede which marked the end of another successful year and the beginning of a next year’s celebrations, said Calgary Stampede leadership on Sunday morning. It was an outstanding year for everyone involved in putting this year’s event together, said Calgary Stampede president and board chair Stuart O’Connor, before welcoming the last wave of guests. Between welcoming delegates from around the world, visits from the Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney , and ambassadors from the US and EU, it all speaks to the role Stampede plays in creating connections, O’Connor said.

He also highlighted performances across the Coca-Cola stage, Nashville North, Big Four Roadhouse, and Saddledome, including A$AP Rocky and Alanis Morissette . “Every experience we create during the greatest outdoor show on Earth helps strengthen the connection between our guests and our community, and a successful Stampede also allows us to continue our work in the community all year round,” O’Connor said. Before his remarks, CEO Joel Cowley gave an update on the collision that took place on Saturday’s chuck wagon races during the third heat that saw an injured horse sent to a local veterinary clinic.

He said initial exams showed no fractures but the injuries remain serious and the horse undergoes examination. Although they won’t have the final tally until after Sunday, Cowley said the grounds saw 1.4 million guests and this year will be the third-most attended Calgary Stampede. “We’re coming off two record years in 2024 and 2025, 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,” Cowley said.

Attendance isn’t the only measure of express, but also the quality of experience, he said. Results from their mid-show survey saw that 91 per cent of attendees believed that Stampede met or surpassed their expectations, 86 per cent indicated that they would return in the future, and 94 per cent said they would recommend Stampede to someone else. Looking deeper, 70 per cent of attendees through the middle of the show were from the Calgary metro area.

“That means that 30 per cent come from outside of Calgary, and if we break that down, 11 per cent were from Alberta, but not Calgary, 12 per cent were from Canada but not Alberta, 7 per cent were visiting internationally, with two per cent of those coming from the United States and five per cent of those coming from elsewhere in the world,” Cowley said. “It’s that 30 per cent of outside visitation that generates the economic impact of the Calgary Stampede.” During the 10 days of Stampede, it generates $389 million of economic impact for Alberta, according to data from their economic impact study, Cowley said.

It shows that 76 per cent of attendees through the middle of the show are returning guests. “That means that for 24 per cent, this was their first Calgary Stampede and so it’s our goal to give them a great experience so that they return and they tell others about the experience that they had this year,” he said. 2026 was an incredible year for Stampede, and Cowley gives thanks to all the partners who made it possible.

“Our 3,000 volunteers that serve on 36 different committees to bring this event to life, our 360 full-time employees, some of whom work year-round, with regard to Stampede Park, but many of whom this is their sole focus to make sure that these 10 days are outstanding for many guests and contestants,” Cowley said. Calgary Stampede has around 1,000 part-time employees that join them throughout the year, but it is ramped up to 4,000 seasonal hires when Stampede rolls around. One of the bigger complaints they continue to receive involves crowding and lineups, especially in regards to attendance during the four free days that take place during Stampede.

After Scotia Place’s completion in the fall of 2027, crowding relief can be expected after the Saddledome is demolished. “There are preferred days, particularly those that are free admission, and so we have to be able to flex and accommodate a larger crowd on certain days, and the incorporation of those 11 acres will allow us to do that,” Cowley said. Catch up with the day’s headlines, curated by our editors and delivered to your email inbox at lunchtime on every business day.

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