| Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Reliant Stadium filled with rodeo attendees at the 2006 HLSR | |
| Genre | Rodeo, livestock show and fair |
| Dates | 4–23 March 2025 |
| Venue | NRG Stadium |
| Location(s) | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Founded | 1931 (as the Houston Fat Stock Show) |
| Attendance | 2,417,248 (2022)[1] |
| Website | rodeohouston.com |
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called RodeoHouston or abbreviated HLSR, is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. It includes one of the richest regular-season professional rodeo events. It has been held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003, with the exception of 2021 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was previously held in the Astrodome.[2] It is considered to be the city's "signature event", much like New Orleans's Mardi Gras, Dallas's Texas State Fair, San Diego's Comic-Con and New York City's New Year's Eve at Times Square.[2]
In 2017, attendance reached a record high of 2,611,176 people and 33,000 volunteers.[3][4] In 2007, the rodeo was deemed "the year of the volunteer."[5] The event is 20 days long. It is kicked off by the Downtown Rodeo Roundup held near Houston City Hall, the Downtown Rodeo parade, and the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run – a 10k and 5k walk & run and the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest.[6] The show features championship rodeo action, livestock competitions, concerts, a carnival, pig racing, barbecue and the Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition, shopping, sales and livestock auctions. Traditional trail rides, which start in different areas of Texas and end in Houston, precede the Rodeo events.[7] The City of Houston celebrates this event with Go Texan Day, where residents are encouraged to dress in western wear the Friday before the rodeo begins.[8]
The rodeo has drawn some of the world's biggest recording artists, including Gene Autry, Beyoncé, blink-182, Selena Gomez, Keith Urban, Ariana Grande, Selena, Reba McEntire, Kiss, Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovato, Charley Pride, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Alan Jackson, REO Speedwagon, Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, Janet Jackson, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Kenny Chesney, Los Tigres del Norte, Bon Jovi, ZZ Top, Chris Stapleton, John Legend, Taylor Swift, Gwen Stefani, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- ^ "Attendance". 13 June 2023.
- ^ a b "Attendance at record high in 2011 RodeoHouston". People's Daily Online. en.people.cn. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ "Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ celebrates record-breaking attendance of more than 2.6 millions fans at the 2017 show". Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. www.rodeohouston.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Attendance". Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. www.rodeohouston.com. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo sets attendance record with 2.1M visitors". KHOU Houston Texas. www.khou.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ "'Chicks' Dig ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run". KRIV - my Fox Houston. www.myfoxhouston. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ ""The Salt Grass Trail Ride"". Texas Bob Travels. www.texasbob.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ "Community Involvement Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo". USMed-Equip. www.usmedequip.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2017.