Spurring an economic boom: 2025 Calgary Stampede

In an effort to convert the G7 attention Alberta just received into cold hard cash, there is plenty of economic optimism for Calgary as the 2025 edition of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth arrives.

Calgary Stampede officials and the event’s supporters are once again optimistic about this year’s event. That optimism is fuelled by last year’s record-breaking attendance numbers, recent G7 exposure for the province, and lingering anti-American sentiment.

The 10-day event typically generates close to $300 million in local economic activity for the province, and several reports suggest Canadians are vacationing less in the U.S. this summer with many considering holidaying closer to home.

“I think we’re going to see more people from across the country, coming to see what it’s all about,” says Deborah Yedlin, President and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. “Instead of going somewhere else, they are going to be coming to Calgary and then going on from here.”

Last year’s numbers show that 27 per cent of visitors to the Stampede were non-Calgarians, with 3 per cent of those visitors coming from the U.S.

“We see anecdotally lots of Americans moving around our community saying they want to come here,” says Alisha Reynolds, president and CEO of Tourism Calgary. “This is a bucket-list trip they’ve been thinking of, and they’ve heard about Calgary as a place of opportunity.”

It’s not just opportunity on a local scale, Brad Parry with Calgary Economic Development says international business deals are constantly happening in cowboys boots during the Stampede.

“We’re also hosting a key delegation of key site selectors, key leaders who influence expansion decisions from across sectors around the world,” says Parry. “From boardrooms to the grandstand, the relationships built during Stampede lead to future investments, new jobs and business growth.”

Last year’s event set a new attendance record, with 1,477,953 people walking through the gates of Stampede Park. It broke the previous record from 2012.

A daily attendance record was also set on the first Sunday last year, which was Tim Horton’s Family Day. More than 200,000 people walked through the gates that day.

According to officials, advanced ticket sales for the 2025 rodeo and evening show are tracking ahead of last year.