Calgary will be the host of the 2026 Grey Cup, bringing the CFL’s championship game back to the city for the first time since 2019.
The announcement was made Friday morning in the locker room at McMahon Stadium, and CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said Calgary is a city that’s renowned for its hospitality and the ability to throw a good party.
“On behalf of the board of governors, our heartfelt congratulations, and we are looking forward to one of the great Grey Cup parties of all time,” said Ambrosie.
Jay McNeil, president of the Calgary Stampeders, said this was a big day for the organization. He said he got word of being awarded the 113th Grey Cup game last week during a leadership meeting, where Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) president and CEO Robert Hayes was speaking.
He said normally he wouldn’t get up in the middle of Mr. Hayes speaking to the group, but he thought it might be the Grey Cup call. Indeed, it was.
“I was happy, I was excited, and I was a little bit overwhelmed, and as I stepped back into the meeting, I had to stop and catch myself, because I was emotional,” McNeil said.
“That emotion came from not only do we have the opportunity to have a long-term impact on the Calgary Stampeders organization, but we have an opportunity to have an impact on our city, on our province, on our league, and on the game of football.”
McNeil said that not only is this an opportunity for the City of Calgary, but it’s a big responsibility for the organization. He said they want to appeal to those seeing their first Grey Cup, or maybe never seen a game of football before.
“We are planning something for everybody, and we are planning on delivering an experience that you won’t forget,” he said.
Grey Cup 2026 a big uplift for the City of Calgary, province
The investment on behalf of the province and the City of Calgary and CSEC to bring the game to Alberta will result in a substantial boost to the local economy.
“Tourism Calgary is thrilled to have partnered with the Calgary Stampeders to bid and win the 2026 Grey Cup,” said Tourism Calgary CEO Alisha Reynolds.
“This event will not only deliver upwards of $50 million economic impact driving big business for our hotels, restaurants and retailers, it will also bring together our love for Canadian football and showcase our Blue Sky City hospitality. We can’t wait to welcome fans of all ages from across the country to experience this memorable event.”
This will be the sixth time Calgary has hosted the Grey Cup, with it being here in 1975, 1993, 2000, 2009, and 2019. Along with the game will be a week-long Grey Cup festival, focused around Calgary’s newly-expanded BMO Centre.
Alberta Minister of Tourism and Sport Joseph Schow said that they were happy to support the Calgary bid, and continue to promote sports and healthy, active living in Alberta.
“I think it’s so essential to show how we support sports. Because as a kid, you get to watch the sports on television, and you look at that, you think, ‘one day I could do that, one day I could be on that field,’” Minister Schow said.
“Maybe it happens, and maybe it doesn’t, but that excitement it creates in kids, it gets young adults playing sports, getting them active.”
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said it was a collaborative effort to bring the Grey Cup to Calgary, driven by a passionate group of people with an eye on showcasing Canadian football and the world class experience in the city.
“It is also an opportunity for people to come together and have a music festival, for people to come and attend one of the biggest games that people look for every year,” she said.
“It’s actually a game changer for Calgary in many ways. This is putting us on the map yet again, as a city that has an amazing visitor economy and a city that can welcome anybody and make them feel at home.”
