Cowboys Dance Hall will close down after 30 years in operation, with the bar’s owner saying that it wants to focus on its namesake music festival and Calgary park.
In a post on social media, the popular Calgary watering hole said that it was turning the page, “and riding into an exciting new chapter.
Along with the change to the nightclub, there will be a rebranding of the Cowboys Casino on the Stampede Grounds, according to the post.
“The Calgary Stampede is the pride and joy of this city, and Cowboys would not be where it is today without its partnership, trust and support,” their post read.
“We wish the Calgary Stampede well with its ongoing operations and eventual rebrand of Cowboys Casino.”
Cowboys, known for its tagline ‘the most fun you can have with your boots on!,’ has been a hotspot for in-town celebrities over the years who are looking for a place to party – and not just at Stampede time. It’s also hosted some big-name non-country music artists over the years, including Snoop Dogg and Nelly.
“For now, Cowboys Dance Hall will close its doors as we turn our focus toward growing Cowboys Music Festival, creating bold new events at Cowboys Park, strengthening our partnership with the City of Calgary and bringing more exciting experiences and economic drivers to our city as we do our part to help Calgary continue to grow.”
The City of Calgary and Cowboys’ parent company Penny Lane Entertainment (PLE) have had a recent run-in, particularly over the operation of the Cowboys Music Festival at the similarly named Cowboys Park.
The sides were at odds in a very public dispute over noise levels coming from the Stampede-time music festival that ultimately forced the City to negotiate an earlier end to loud music and a slight drop in bass levels but ultimately keep the decibel level the same as prior years.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas has also been critical of the lack of transparency around a sponsorship deal for the former Millennium Park in Calgary’s downtown west end.
He’s said repeatedly that he’d like the contents of that deal made public, but that PLE wasn’t allowing that to happen.
“I’ve been pushing for this information to be shared publicly, details about how much money, shared hands, other mechanisms that might be inside of it,” Mayor Farkas said on June 24, 2026.
“My understanding is that the City of Calgary has requested to Cowboys that this contract be made public, and it’s Cowboys that’s refusing to give permission, because in the contract we mutually agreed to keep it confidential. The previous council mutually agreed with Cowboys to keep it confidential. We want it to be public, but Cowboys is refusing at this point.”
Meanwhile, Cowboys thanked its staff and fans, saying that the first 30 years was only the beginning.
“Thirty years built the legend and where we are today – everything we’ve created together is only setting the stage for what comes next,” their post read.
“The boots aren’t coming off; we’re stepping into something bigger, bolder and built for the future.”
