CALGARY – The Calgary Stampede kicks off today and visitors’ credit cards are already rarin’ to go.
The 10-day salute to cowboy culture begins with a parade through downtown and features pancake breakfasts, corporate shindigs, midway rides, carnival games, concerts and daily rodeo competitions.
The Mastercard Economics Institute looked at last year’s spending data and estimated that the festival generated an 18 per cent uplift for local businesses compared to a no-Stampede baseline.
Restaurants saw the biggest bump, with a 29 per cent rise in spending, and retailers also saw a lift the day before the event as folks looked to rustle up last-minute hats, boots and other western duds.
Spending on accommodations built early, concentrated on hotel bookings downtown during the first few days of the event.
Preliminary Mastercard data also points to an uptick in international visits this year over last.
“The Calgary Stampede is a great example of how a cultural moment can also be a major economic catalyst,” said Benjamin Jacob, a senior vice-president at Mastercard Canada.
“For local businesses, success during Stampede is not just about being busy, it is about being ready.”
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce says Stampede generated $644 million in local economic activity last year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2026.
