It was another year of strong attendance numbers at the Calgary Stampede. Tommy Osborne has the highs and lows. <\/p>\n
Stampede 2026 is tracking to go down as the third-most attended Calgary Stampede of all time.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Among those was Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who spent the weekend at the festival. Carney strolled the midway Saturday before attending the Rangeland Derby at GMC Stadium.<\/p>\n
Sunday, he flipped some pancakes and sat down with CTV News anchor Tara Nelson for an exclusive interview.<\/p>\n
Carney described the Stampede as a \u201cfull well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can pack a lot in in a few hours here, and it\u2019s been fantastic. Tons of energy, lots of positive energy. (I\u2019m) meeting Canadians from across the country. (There are) so many people coming here, people from around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, attends the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Saturday, July 11, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Jeff McIntosh Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, attends the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Saturday, July 11, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Jeff McIntosh <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fantastic,\u201d he added, \u201cand it was a great show last night. Great start to the day today — and I\u2019m just about to go through the agriculture barn.\u201d<\/p>\n
On a weekend when there was also a pancake breakfast for separatist sympathizers, Carney was asked by Nelson what his message to Albertans was.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanada works. It can it can work better –and it works better when people are engaged. <\/p>\n
\u201cCanada\u2019s worth fighting for,\u201d he added. \u201cWe\u2019re fighting for Canada and building up the country. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re stronger when we\u2019re together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018We provide great value\u2019: Stampede CEO<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re coming off two record years in 2024 and 2025, and so surpassing 1.4 million guests in 2026 is quite the achievement,\u201d Cowley said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven 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,\u201d Cowley added.<\/p>\n
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Joel Cowley Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley at the 2026 Stampede press conference Sunday morning. <\/p>\n
Cowley said that high attendance is only part of the story, one that varies depending on the weather, which was exceptionally good in 2026.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cAttendance isn\u2019t the sole measure of success, and in fact, I would argue that it\u2019s not the most important measure of success. It\u2019s really the quality of the experience that people have here in the park,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
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. Ninety-four per cent said they would recommend it to someone else.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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Gregg Korek, better known as Scooter, has been working with the Calgary Stampede Midway for 50 years. Gregg Korek, better known as Scooter, has been working with the Calgary Stampede Midway for 50 years. Demographics<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s that 30 per cent of outside visitation that generates the economic impact of the Calgary Stampede,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
He said 24 per cent of visitors surveyed said it was their first visit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was their first Calgary Stampede, and so it\u2019s our goal to give them a great experience so that they return and they tell others about the experience that they had this year,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Cowley said 92 per cent of respondents said they believed the Calgary Stampede was critical to the city\u2019s unique identity, and 82 per cent felt they belonged at the Stampede.<\/p>\n
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford cook pancakes at the annual Stampede breakfast in Calgary, Monday, July 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Jeff McIntosh Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford cook pancakes at the annual Stampede breakfast in Calgary, Monday, July 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Jeff McIntosh Affordability<\/p>\n
Cowley did acknowledge concerns about overall affordability but said the organization tries to remain accessible for all income levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cFour of the 10 days you can come on park for free,\u201d he said. \u201cThat 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that off-site Stampede events also offer access to a different kind of Stampede experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt 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\u2019t come to park, and we know that there are a lot of people who don\u2019t come to park either because they can\u2019t get here physically or from a financial standpoint,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it gives us great pride to offer those off-site experiences and take the Calgary Stampede to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Naheed Nenshi at Calgary Stampede Naheed Nenshi hosted a community breakfast Sunday morning at the Calgary Stampede. Politicians everywhere<\/p>\n
Cowley acknowledged that attendance might have been up in one significant area: visiting politicians.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, maybe more so, as they came in, and I think given what\u2019s happening both here in Canada and throughout the world, that probably helps explain it a bit, but we\u2019re 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,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cCertainly, we had the ambassadors that were here from the E.U. We had a contingent from the U.S. of legislators that came in just yesterday, and we hosted them as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cowley also shared a personal connection to a Stampede event that took place last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy 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\u2019ve lived here five years now, is that it\u2019s truly based on civility and kindness and respectful discourse.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Calgary Stampede served as a backdrop for more than three dozen people becoming new Canadian citizens on Friday morning. The Calgary Stampede served as a backdrop for more than three dozen people becoming new Canadian citizens on Friday morning. <\/p>\n