There are only two days left before Stampede cowboys and cowgirls hang up their hats, the final notes are played on stage and the midway rides take on their last passengers. Read More
Everything you need to know about Calgary Stampede 2025
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Everything you need to know about Calgary Stampede 2025
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There are only two days left before Stampede cowboys and cowgirls hang up their hats, the final notes are played on stage and the midway rides take on their last passengers.
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There will be much to see around the grounds and on the infield — and even for someone like Stampede Rodeo camera operator Dennis Genereux, who’s seen pretty much everything in his 48 years on the job, he’s primed to expect the unexpected.
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Meanwhile, chuckwagon driver Chanse Vigen’s fundraising pink sunglasses, with funds destined for families in financial need, are taking the circuit by storm.
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Noon News Roundup
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Stampede attendance has passed the one-million mark, after 95,165 filed through the gates on Thursday.
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Read on for more of what you need to know about everything to do with the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
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NEED TO KNOW: STAMPEDE 101
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On stage: Music picks for July 12
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Who to see: Tom Morello at the Big Four Roadhouse
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The former guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, and occasional member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Tom Morello presumably has plenty to rage against these days in his home country. The artist’s solo work has always been an interesting hybrid. His most recent single — Pretend You Remember Me — is a moody and tense mid-tempo rocker full of blazing guitar riffs. In 2021, he teamed with Springsteen for a slick but powerful cover of AC/DC’s Highway to Hell. He also released albums under the name The Nightwatchman, his acoustic-based left-wing alter ego. Who knows what the Stampede audience will get, but it will likely be memorable.
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When/Where: Saturday, 10 p.m., Big Four Roadhouse
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Who to See: The Blake Reid Band at the King Eddy
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At their best, Alberta’s Blake Reid Band recalls the Band’s musical interplay. Reid also possesses a rich, expressive baritone and knack for penning country hooks and songs that seem custom-built for the stage. Check out the bluesy and dramatic Big Train and rollicking, fiddle-fuelled Penny from 2021’s No Roads In to prep for the show.
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When/Where: Saturday, 8:30 p.m., King Eddy.
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— Eric Volmers
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Upcoming Stampede Caravan pancake breakfasts
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Saturday, July 12
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- Township Shopping Centre, 210 Ave., S.E.: 9-11 a.m.
- Deer Valley Shopping Centre, 1221 Canyon Meadows Dr. S.E.: 9-11 a.m.
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Dennis Genereux has seen it all in his 48 years behind the camera at the Stampede Rodeo.
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“You never know what’s going to happen, so you have to have total concentration,” he said.
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“There are stories out there that would break your heart. It’s so friendly, so good, so honest — they’re just super people.”
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The excitement of capturing those unexpected moments is what’s kept Genereux coming back year after year.
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— Devon Dekuyper
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As the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth enters its final weekend, vendors and small business owners in the newly completed BMO Centre are telling a tale of two Stampedes — business is booming for some, while others are barely breaking even.
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Some are doing a brisk business, other wonders if the general economic outlook or perhaps their location at Stampede Park might be affecting their bottom line.
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— Brett Nichols
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SECURE Waste Infrastructure Corp.’s annual 2025 Stampede Charity Party raised more than $1 million to support four different organizations.
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The Stampede-related event hosted more than 800 guests for a rooftop party on Wednesday.
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In total, this year’s fundraising event raised $1,024,500.
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SECURE’s CEO, Allen Gransch said everyone involved in the event came together to celebrate the do-good spirit that unites the community during Stampede.
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— Daniel Gonzalez
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The Rangeland Derby has its own version of the Pink Pony Club.
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Pink sunglasses are taking over the chuckwagon world — and for a very good cause.
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The I’m Your Huckleberry campaign, launched by Chanse and Brie Vigen, is a grassroots charity that supports families facing difficult times.
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Chanse first wore his now-iconic pink sunglasses when he burst onto the Stampede scene, earning him the nickname the Rangeland Derby Rockstar by longtime chuckwagon announcer Les McIntyre.
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“Chanse never really threw anything off his rig like some of the other drivers did,” Brie said. “So, I thought, why don’t we order a bunch of pink sunglasses, put your name on the arm and toss them into the crowd?”
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The idea caught on — fast.
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— Shawn Knox
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Rodeo records were made to be broken …
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Just ask Kassie Mowry and fellow barrel racers at the Calgary Stampede.
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But again and again and again in the same week?
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Yeah … it’s happening in the fast-paced event, with the competitors crediting the grounds crew of GMC Stadium for what’s made for the best arena time being broken three times …
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And counting.
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— Todd Saelhof
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Luke Mackey made the most of the saying, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.’
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Only in his case Friday at the Calgary Stampede rodeo, it was, ‘Re-ride, re-ride again.’
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And hot damn, did it ever pay off for the Colorado bull rider.
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As in a payday of $23,250 for being the only cowboy to complete the requisite eight-second ride on the day’s pen of bulls.
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“After bucking off the two first ones, I was thinking third time’s gotta be a charm,” said an awestruck Mackey, a Stampede rookie.
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“It happened.”
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— Todd Saelhof
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From how to get to Stampede Park, when you can save money, highlights from the rodeo infield, where to dance up a storm and how to fill your belly, we have you covered with our ultimate Calgary Stampede visitor’s guide.
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— Mackenzie Rhode
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The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth begins Friday at GMC Stadium, and with it comes the world’s largest outdoor rodeo.
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The Calgary Stampede Rodeo features 210 of the globe’s top cowboys and cowgirls competing for a prize purse of $2.17 million in 2025.
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Get the lowdown in the ins and out of the rodeo.
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— Todd Saelhof
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Chuckwagon historian and commentator Billy Melville said although the sport has been around for more than a century, the objective has always remained the same.
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“Even though it’s gone through a number of changes, there are three underlying principles that have guided the chuckwagon races since Day 1,” said Melville, who loves talking about the sport his grandfather, Orville Strandquist, excelled in at as both a driver and an outrider for seven decades up until the 1990s.
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“A chuckwagon race does three things. Number one is that it tests the skill of the driver; number two is that it tests the skill of the outriders; and number three, it demonstrates the speed of the team. It’s really no more complicated than that.”
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— Laurence Heinen
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While the Calgary Stampede is not likely to lose its boastful moniker “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” organizers of the 10-day spectacle have been taking great effort in recent years to add to its branding to emphasize there is more than a rodeo happening at Stampede Park.
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It is also being sold as “The Greatest Music Festival in the West,” a testament to the eclectic music programming that takes over four venues on the Stampede grounds.
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More than 100 acts, including many that can be seen with the price of admission, will be playing over 10 days.
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— Eric Volmers
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Best places to watch the Calgary Stampede fireworks
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Where else can you watch fireworks 10 days in a row? Calgary has the special privilege of a spectacular nighttime show starting at around 11 p.m. from July 4 to 13 while the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth takes over the city.
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Want to know where you can best see the fireworks? Here are the four best spots to take in the Stampede fireworks from around the city.
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Stampede Park
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While not free, this option gets you the best possible view. The fireworks shoot off right after the Grandstand show ends and you can get the best close-up view while on the Midway or right outside the rodeo grounds.
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Scotsman’s Hill
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This spot has the best free vantage point. It is right across the river from the Stampede grounds in the community of Ramsey.
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Scotsman’s Hill a very popular spot for fireworks viewing so show up early to find a spot to park and sit. Getting dropped off by a generous family member or a ride-share or taxi is a great option.
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Tom Campbell’s Hill Natural Park
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A little farther north from Scotsman’s Hill is Tom Campbell’s Hill Natural Park. Near the Calgary Zoo, this spot still is close enough to give a great view of the fireworks.
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There is a parking lot on the north side of the park and is an 11-minute walk from the Calgary Zoo CTrain parking lot.
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Max Bell Centre
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The Max Bell Centre, on the edge of Albert Park and Radisson Heights, offers good views of the Stampede fireworks and a large parking lot.
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Learn more about the Calgary Stampede fireworks.
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Can’t go in person? Watch it here
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— Darlene Casten, with video from Brent Calver
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