The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo enjoyed a resurgence in attendance last year, drawing nearly 2.5 million people to NRG Park in a return to pre-pandemic turnout levels.
So far this year, despite favorable late-winter weather, not nearly as many Houston-area residents are going to the rodeo performances and corresponding concerts or to the carnival-like attractions on the rodeo grounds. Rodeo and concert attendance is down by more than 45,000 through the first nine of 20 dates, while about 41,000 fewer people have visited the surrounding grounds compared to this time last year.
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Rodeo officials, however, expect a strong finishing kick because the last week of this year’s event coincides with Spring Break and five upcoming musical performances are either sold out or close to being sold out as of Thursday, when country music star Luke Bryan is scheduled to perform at NRG Stadium.
“Our attendance figures at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo are influenced by various factors, with concerts being just one aspect of the equation,” rodeo president and CEO Chris Boleman said in a statement. “This year, our World’s Championship BBQ Contest had record-breaking success, benefiting from ideal weather conditions and serving as a triumphant kickoff to the rodeo festivities. The overall attendance numbers are expected to level off as we approach Spring Break.”
The three-day barbecue competition drew about 20,000 more visitors than last year’s event, but daily rodeo grounds attendance has been better than last year’s on only two corresponding days since then. Singer-songwriter Jelly Roll helped provide a bump during his Houston rodeo debut Wednesday, when more than 73,000 saw him perform and 112,000-plus visited NRG Park.
The other shows drawing at least 70,000 fans this year were rapper 50 Cent on March 1 and Mexican-American singer-songwriter Ivan Cornejo on March 3. The upcoming concerts that are sold out or approaching sellout status are Lainey Wilson on Saturday, Los Tigres Del Norte on Sunday, Bun B’s All-American Takeover next Tuesday, Nickelback next Wednesday and the Jonas Brothers on March 15, according to the rodeo.
Resale tickets to those shows, along with tickets for all the other remaining performances, are available on the rodeo website. This year’s event runs through March 17, a Sunday that also marks the last day of Spring Break for many local high school and college students.
Country musicians Brad Paisley, inducted last year into the rodeo’s “Star Trail of Fame,” and Eric Church are scheduled to perform on the last two days, respectively.
“Historically, Spring Break has been a pivotal period for us, drawing in our largest crowds,” Boleman said. “The current ticket sales are already indicative of the excitement building up, with nearly five upcoming shows sold out … and several others closely following suit, with over 60,000 tickets sold. As we move forward, the anticipation is high for a successful and vibrant second half of the 2024 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the coming days.”
HOUSTON RODEO ATTENDANCE BY THE NUMBERS
Note: Numbers are through 10 of 20 dates in 2024, with corresponding 2023 numbers in parentheses. Entries in bold denote higher daily attendance compared to 2023.
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RODEO GROUNDS AT NRG PARK
World’s Championship BBQ Contest from Feb. 22-24: 234,456 (214,903)
Day 1, Feb. 27: 73,374 (79,396)
Day 2, Feb. 28: 57,142 (86,962)
Day 3, Feb. 29: 67,639 (81,008)
Day 4, March 1: 115,547 (105,467)
Day 5, March 2: 124,280 (128,961)
Day 6, March 3: 117,379 (121,145)
Day 7, March 4: 84,708 (84,780)
Day 8, March 5: 57,474 (76,358)
Day 9, March 6: 112,642 (106,368)
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TOTALS: 1.04 million (1.08 million)
RODEO/CONCERT PERFORMANCES AT NRG STADIUM
Day 1, Feb. 27, Blake Shelton: 59,641 (68,303)
Day 2, Feb. 28, Carly Pearce: 54,686 (72,711)
Day 3, Feb. 29, For King + Country: 54,968 (67,131)
Day 4, March 1, 50 Cent: 74,729 (74,573)
Day 5, March 2, Hardy: 69,753 (69,507)
Day 6, March 3, Ivan Cornejo: 72,046 (72,471)
Day 7, March 4, Hank Williams Jr.: 58,968 (62,913)
Day 8, March 5, Oliver Anthony: 49,219 (59,032)
Day 9, March 6, Jelly Roll: 73,494 (62,009)
TOTALS: 563,324 (608,650)
Source: https://t-tees.com
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