Unless in extreme cases, data shows that it’s unlikely for poor weather conditions to drive people away from visiting the Calgary Stampede. 

Nestled between the Rocky Mountains and the prairies, the Blue Sky City is known for being anything but — from Chinooks bringing false springs in the winter, and summer showing the conundrum of near-drought conditions amid harsh rainstorms. 

The city’s weather systems have been explained repeatedly in scientific jargon, and for good reason, have developed a reputation for being simply known as unpredictable. So much so, Calgary Stampede (CS) CEO Joel Cowley said their grandstand and rodeo sales depend on it.

“I do think people wait to hear reviews on the show before they buy, and they might also check the weather before they purchase a ticket,” he said during a behind-the-scenes tour of the grounds on July 3.

“Both the afternoon rodeo and the evening show are selling ahead of last year’s record.”

As of July 11, roughly a week into the 2025 rendition, this year’s attendees amount to the cumulative sum of 1,069,306 — already 28,583 more than the total guests counted by day seven of the 2024 event.

Apart from it having rained the first couple of days, Cowley credited part of last year’s success to the comfortable weather. Even though the CS plans for a handful of storms to hinder attendance, he estimated that the balmy 2025 forecast will bring 1.3 million guests through the gates.

“All three years I’ve been here have been really good weather years,” said Cowley. 

“We hope that we maintain that.”

But according to the Calgary Stampede’s manager of communications, Julie Forget, the CS may be putting too much weight on the weather affecting their plans. She said that last Tuesday, July 8, people visited the grounds no matter the temperature.

“We had a 31-degree day…and the numbers were still great,” said Forget. 

“So I don’t know that there’s a massive impact.”

However, she said that this isn’t new behaviour, and historical data agrees.

Stampede forecast: High chance of showing up anyway

Last year’s total Stampede attendance of 1.47 million people shattered records. To no surprise, the weather was more than hospitable, with an average temperature of 26 °C and minimal rain across all 10 days.

Before this, 2023 held the record with 1.4 million visitors — roughly a 14 per cent increase in attendance from 2022 alone. Despite this, the weather, though not nearly as poor as 2016’s average precipitation of almost 10 mm, suggested some unsavoury days on the Midway.

Out of all of the 10 days that Stampede ran in 2023, only four had a precipitation level of zero. Yet, on the first Sunday, when precipitation came in the second largest amount of 4 mm, the CS experienced its single busiest day for that year with 177,532 attendees.

Likely no coincidence, Sunday, July 9, 2023, was Tim Hortons Family Day, meaning that families were permitted free entry into the park before 11 a.m. In addition to rain, the daily high was 29C, but fans of Jessie Reyez stomached the damp heat to watch her perform at the Coca-Cola stage.

Since then, the CS has strived to expect the unexpected by adding some changes to the grounds to ensure they are welcoming even amid spontaneous weather events. With the renovated BMO Centre, Cowley noted that the building provides shelter from rain and shade from the heat. 

“The addition of the new BMO Centre and the outdoor space, the indoor air-conditioned space, greatly allows us to host larger audiences,” he said. 

Cowley said that last year, people stayed at the park for an average of eight hours during Stampede. He said that the 2024 surge in visitors and staying time relates to how attendees feel cozy at the park. 

“That speaks to the fact that they’re comfortable…and to the diversity of our offering,” said Cowley.

Park weatherproofing gets good reviews, says CS officials

This Stampede is the second year that the new BMO Centre has been available to the public. Forget said that this event has been especially sunny, and that the building has received positive reviews from users.

“I’ve seen lots of people in there just sort of sitting down, taking some time to sort of get out of the sun and the busyness of the Midway,” she said.

“So, I think that’s been a huge factor.”

For those toughing it out on the Midway, Forget said that the CS places additional water misters and fountain stations on hot days. Should the weather turn sour, she said that they strategically plan activities indoors at the Nutrien Western Event Centre.

“If they want to be outside in the hustle and bustle and the heat and potentially the rain, they can do that,” said Forget. 

“But on the other hand, there is someplace like the BMO and, of course, the Nutrien Western Events…they’re both fantastic facilities and excellent options when the day maybe isn’t quite ideal.”

Forget said that after every Stampede, they reevaluate trends to see where weatherproofing adjustments are needed. She said that the construction of the new Scotia Place venue, which is set to be completed by fall 2027, will bring even more options to the grounds for the years to come.

“I’m excited to see how we end up using our space,” said Forget.