The late afternoon sun hangs low over the Calgary Stampede grounds as I weave through throngs of people on the final Sunday of the 10-day event. Children with cotton candy-stained faces dash between food stalls while their parents, many sporting freshly purchased cowboy hats, follow behind. The scent of mini donuts mingles with barbecue smoke and the earthy smell of livestock barns.
“We’ve never seen numbers like this,” says Natalie Jackson, communications director for the Stampede, gesturing to the packed midway. “More than 1.5 million visitors over the full run—that’s a 12 percent increase from our previous record in 2019.”
The 2025 Calgary Stampede has just wrapped up what organizers are calling the most successful edition in its 113-year history. Beyond attendance records, this year’s event showcased a deliberate evolution in how the self-proclaimed “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” balances its traditional western heritage with contemporary cultural values.
At the Indigenous Village, Elder Hal Eagletail of the Tsuut’ina Nation tells me this year marked a significant shift. “We’ve moved beyond token inclusion,” he explains while seated in a traditional tipi. “The Stampede board now includes three Indigenous directors, and our programming has expanded throughout the grounds, not just in this designated area.”
The expanded Indigenous presence includes the new “Nations’ Trail” exhibit chronicling the history and contributions of First Nations to Alberta’s ranching traditions—a history often overlooked in previous Stampede narratives. First-time visitor Amina Chen from Toronto noted how the exhibit changed her perception. “I always thought of the Stampede as this purely colonial celebration, but learning about Indigenous horsemanship traditions and their influence on modern rodeo was eye-opening.”
Beyond cultural recalibration, this year’s economic impact has been substantial. According to preliminary figures from Tourism Calgary, the event generated approximately $282 million in economic activity for the city—welcome news for a province still navigating economic diversification beyond oil and gas.
Small business owners felt the boom directly. Raj Sandhu, who operates a family-run samosa stand, explains, “We’ve been here seven years, but this was exceptional. We sold out every day by 8 p.m., something that’s never happened before.”
The attendance surge comes despite continuing controversy around the rodeo events. Animal welfare organizations like the Calgary Animal Rights Effort (CARE) maintained a small but visible presence outside the grounds. Their spokesperson, Emma Fitzgerald, acknowledges a slight shift in the organization’s approach. “We’re focusing less on shutting down the Stampede and more on pushing for specific welfare improvements that reduce suffering while respecting western heritage.”
Weather played a significant role in this year’s success. Unlike previous years marred by downpours or extreme heat, 2025 delivered near-perfect conditions—sunny days with temperatures hovering between 22-27°C. Environment Canada meteorologist Paul Johnson called it “statistically remarkable” to have such consistent weather throughout the entire 10-day period.
The Stampede’s record-breaking attendance also reflects broader trends in domestic tourism. Statistics Canada reported in May that interprovincial tourism has increased 15% nationwide since 2023, with Canadians increasingly choosing to explore their own country rather than traveling internationally.
“Coming out of those difficult pandemic years, we’re seeing Canadians reconnect with cultural touchstones,” explains Dr. Melissa Aronczyk, a cultural studies professor at Rutgers University who researches Canadian identity. “The Stampede represents something uniquely Canadian—this blend of rural tradition, urban celebration, and increasingly, a more honest engagement with our full history.”
That engagement extends to sustainability initiatives that might seem at odds with the Stampede’s frontier mythology. New this year was the “Green Ride” program, which provided free public transit for all ticket holders, resulting in an estimated 30% reduction in parking lot usage compared to 2023.
“We’re not running from the fact that rodeo has environmental impacts,” says Jackson. “But we’re committed to measuring and mitigating those impacts wherever possible while maintaining the authenticity of the experience.”
As night falls on the final evening, I watch families stream toward the exits, many carrying oversized stuffed animals won at midway games. A young couple pauses to take a selfie with the iconic Stampede arch in the background, the woman’s elaborately beaded Indigenous earrings catching the light of the setting sun.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, the first woman of color to lead the city, summed up the event’s evolution during the closing ceremony: “The Stampede has always been a mirror for Calgary itself—who we were, who we are, and who we’re becoming. This year showed how tradition and progress can not only coexist but strengthen each other.”
As crews begin the massive cleanup effort, the economic and cultural impact of Stampede 2025 will continue to reverberate through Calgary’s economy and identity. With attendance records shattered and new programming bridging historical divides, the event appears to have found a formula that honors its roots while branching toward a more inclusive future.
Whether that balancing act can be maintained in coming years remains to be seen, but for now, Calgary can celebrate a Stampede that broke new ground while keeping its boots firmly planted in tradition.
