The Evergreen Benefits of Calgary’s ‘Stampede City’

Emmet McGonagle

July 17, 2023

The second largest Calgary Stampede on record has come to a close, and its benefits are already beginning to show for local businesses.


This year’s total attendance is predicted to be about 150,000 passes shortshort of the all-time record of $1.4 million set with 2012's centennial edition of the event (source: CTV News).


However, this year also saw a record-breaking attendance of 164,939 visitors on July 7 which coincided with record-breaking hotel bookings for the city, according to executive director of the Calgary Hotel Association Sol Zia.


Speaking of the event’s economic impact, Sol said: “Arguably, we’re going to see more revenue during the 10 days of Stampede, really 12 nights, than the entire year of 2020.”


Stampede as a ‘Year-Round District’


As Calgary Stampede president and board chair Will Osler told the Calgary Herald: “Each year, Stampede Park transforms into its own city - the third largest in the province - for 10 days”.


These festivities - described by city mayor Jyoti Gondek as as "a year-round district which not only hosts the greatest outdoor show on earth, but also serves as a cultural and economic venue 365 days a year” - brings an estimated 7.7 million visitors each year and contributes $2bn to Calgary’s economy along the way. 


Annually, Stampede Park hosts more than 1,200 events across sectors including business, tourism, sporting, hospitality and community, welcoming upwards of four million guests along the way and generating millions of dollars in uncalculated economic value.


For example, The Global Petroleum Show (hosted by Stampede Park every two years), generates an estimated $11bn in oil and gas related sales within the global marketplace (source: Calgary Stampede).


Likewise, almost one million people attend Calgary Flames home games annually, alongside an additional 2,600,000 visitors who attend the venue for trade shows and other events.


These events create thousands of jobs across Calgary - including more than 2,500 volunteer roles from Stampede itself - contributing more than $540m to the Alberta economy.


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