Stampede attendance expected to hit 1.4 million visitors in 2026, ranking it among top 3

Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley at the 2026 Stampede press conference Sunday morning.

Stampede 2026 is tracking to go down as the third-most attended Calgary Stampede of all time.

CEO Joel Cowley said Sunday morning that with an average Sunday attendance, the 10-day festival would end up with around 1.4 million visitors, landing it on the podium as one of the busiest Stampedes ever.

“We’re coming off two record years in 2024 and 2025, and so surpassing 1.4 million guests in 2026 is quite the achievement,” Cowley said.

“Given the ongoing economic uncertainty, the affordability concerns of Canadians that have persisted for quite some time, we are absolutely honored that 1.4 million guests chose to come to Calgary Stampede and enjoy our tremendous hospitality and our offering here, and that shows that they they feel that we provide great value,” Cowley added.

Cowley said that high attendance is only part of the story, one that varies depending on the weather, which was exceptionally good in 2026.

He said that given the state of the economy, and the ways in which affordability has become an issue for ordinary Albertans, that the strong turnout was an affirmation of the Stampede experience.

“Attendance isn’t the sole measure of success, and in fact, I would argue that it’s not the most important measure of success. It’s really the quality of the experience that people have here on park,” he said.

“I try and encourage our volunteers and our staff to focus on the things they can control, which is providing everyone who sets foot on Stampede Park with a fantastic experience,” he added.

Cowley said surveys done mid-Stampede showed 91 per cent of respondents felt the festival met or exceeded expectations, while 86 per cent said they would be back. 94 per cent said they would recommend it to someone else.

“That’s great feedback with regard to the quality of the experience, and that will definitely support our attendance going forward when we provide that type of an experience,” he said.

Demographics

Cowley said that about 70 per cent of attendees up to mid-week were from the Calgary area. Of the 30 per cent who were out-of-towners, 11 per cent were from elsewhere in Alberta, 12 per cent from across Canada, and seven per cent from outside Canada, including two per cent from the U.S. and five per cent international.

“It’s that 30 per cent of outside visitation that generates the economic impact of the Calgary Stampede,” Cowley said. He anticipated that the economic impact on the city would be roughly in the same neighbourhood as 2025, when the organization estimated that the Stampede generated $389 million in economic activity in the city.

He said 24 per cent of visitors surveyed said it was their first visit.

“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.

The most popular events were the Rangeland Derby and rodeo at GMC Stadium. Other top attractions included the Elbow River Camp, the Coca-Cola stage, Big Four Roadhouse, BMO Market as well as the agriculture and western events presentations.

Cowley said 92 per cent of respondents said they believed the Calgary Stampede was critical to the city’s unique identity, and 82 per cent felt they belonged at the Stampede.

Affordability

Cowley did acknowledge concerns about overall affordability but said the organization tries to remain accessible for all income levels.

“Four of the 10 days you can come on park for free,” he said. “That does not buy you food, certainly, or beverage, or rides, but that does tend to help those who maybe are struggling a little more financially to have a Stampede experience.”

He added that off-site Stampede events also offer access to a different kind of Stampede experience.

“At a time like this, where caravan is throughout the city, feeding four to 6,000 people pancakes, pulling a portable stage, providing entertainment, operating right downtown every day, we can provide a Calgary Stampede experience to those who don’t come to park, and we know that there are a lot of people who don’t come to park either because they can’t get here physically or from a financial standpoint,” he said.

“So it gives us great pride to offer those off-site experiences and take the Calgary Stampede to them.”

Politicians everywhere

Cowley acknowledged that attendance might have been up in one significant area: visiting politicians.

“This year, maybe more so, as they came in, and I think given what’s happening both here in Canada and throughout the world, that probably helps explain it a bit, but we’re so honored to to host our elected officials from all three orders of government and show them what we do and the value that we provide to our community,” he said.

“Certainly, we had the ambassadors that were here from the EU. We had a contingent from the U.S. of legislators that came in just yesterday, and we hosted them as well.”

Cowley also shared a personal connection to a Stampede event that took place last week.

“My wife and I became Canadian citizens on Friday in this building right over here. And one of the things that we admire about Canada, we’ve lived here five years now, is that it’s truly based on civility and kindness and respectful discourse.”

Cowley also updated the media about a horse who was injured at the chuckwagon races Saturday night, saying that x-rays showed no fracture. The horse was taken to a veterinary clinic where it’s under evaluation.

With files from CTV’s Tommy Osborne and Jeff Little