High Performance Rodeo success shows people are ready to be back at the theatre

As High Performance Rodeo wrapped up its 40th annual festival in Calgary, producer Oliver Armstrong says one thing stood out immediately.

People showed up.

“We were really impressed with our audience and them showing up in numbers that surprised us in some cases,” Armstrong said, following a three‑week run that featured more than 30 performances across downtown venues.

Several shows sold out, including Juliet: A Revenge Comedy from Vancouver’s Monster Theatre, which played at the Martha Cohen Theatre. Armstrong said the decision to put the production on a larger stage paid off.

“People showed up,” he said. “We were thrilled with their participation.”

Another stand out was Miss Rita’s Lucha VaVOOM  that was pushed to a total sell‑out, with over 1,200 tickets sold for a single night performance.

Producers responded by opening up an extra seating section at the Winsport Event Centre.

Beyond individual hits, Armstrong says the festival reflected a broader shift he has been noticing over the past few years.

“People really are ready to come back in person, gather together,” he said. “It is full blown now that people want to be out and they want to be with us.”

The 40th anniversary also created what Armstrong called a “happy accident” in the programming, blending familiar artists with emerging and experimental work.

“Some old favourites with some brand new emerging or raw experimental work that people had not seen before,” he said. “And combining those two streams in one three week festival, people noticed that and told us about it.”

The festival also hit its financial targets, which Armstrong says had been set higher than in previous years.

Looking ahead, planning for next year is already underway. Armstrong says the 2027 edition of High Performance Rodeo will shift slightly later on the calendar, running into early February.

“My to‑do list is full already,” he said. “If it’s not on the page, it’s not on the stage.”