Calgary Stampede 2022

[melissy123]

We have a week booked in Canmore and then two nights in Calgary for the Stampede. Thinking of booking the Evening Show for the first day and the Rodeo for the second.

Ticket prices vary depending on location.
The seats higher up are the least expensive followed by the seats at the bottom. The seats mid-way up are the Most expensive. And then seats get more expensive as you get closer to the center of the stage.
there’s a neat little feature called seat view to let you see the view from your seats but I honestly don’t see major differences.
for those who’ve been to the stampede, I’d love to hear your opinions as to what’s the best value tickets. Never been to a rodeo but I figure not all the action is happening center stage.
thank you!

 

[bizaro86]

Best value is obviously subjective. The truly best seats for the rodeo are in the infield, although I don't know if they even sell those to the public. The pricing for the rodeo seats is essentially correct - center stage middle rows are the best. The one upside to sitting higher is that the top seats are partially covered, which can be nice for protection from either rain or sun. Equally priced I would prefer to sit higher rather than lower.

You're right that not all the action happens "centre stage" but the seats at the far end are past the gates, so they will always be looking at an angle no matter where in the arena the action is at any time. I've had top tier seats (when work paid) and cheap seats (when I paid) and enjoyed it about the same. If it's a once in a lifetime thing I'd consider going closer to the middle but higher up vs going to the ends in a middle row.

Your plan of doing them on different days is sound (if you plan to attend Stampede twice) because rodeo/grandstand tickets include admission to the grounds, and if you do them on the same day and go back the next day you'll need to pay for admission separately.

I'd also check whether either of your days is one of the "free" days (family day, seniors day, kids day). They offer free admission to the named groups those days if you arrive early, so they are always the busiest days. If so, I'd plan activities around that to reduce crowds (ie, the midway/BMX bike show are busier on kids days, while the Western Art showcase is busier on seniors day).