The Professional Bull Riders' top-tier World Finals are locking back into Fort Worth this May, splitting the action between the Stockyards and downtown. The 2026 run is set for May 7–17 and will send riders, teams and fans through the doors of both the historic Cowtown Coliseum and Dickies Arena.
Schedule and venues
In an Aug. 25 news release, the organization laid out the plan: the 2026 World Finals open at Cowtown Coliseum May 7–10 before shifting to Dickies Arena for the championship rounds May 14–17, according to PBR. The tour billed the stretch as “two adrenaline‑fueled weeks” in Fort Worth and noted that Cowtown, the Stockyards arena that hosted PBR's first event in 1993, will once again open the show.
Why the finals moved this year
PBR ties the shuffle in venues to scheduling and facility work around the 2026 FIFA World Cup at AT&T Stadium. "With the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to AT&T Stadium, PBR World Finals – Championship will shift to a new home for the season – Dickies Arena," PBR CEO Sean Gleason told Fort Worth Magazine. Organizers say the move keeps the full stretch of Finals events inside the Dallas–Fort Worth area while steering clear of World Cup preparation conflicts.
What it means for Fort Worth
City and tourism officials are bracing for a surge of visitors, hotel bookings and restaurant traffic from the Stockyards to downtown as the Finals roll back through. Tarrant County has pegged the economic impact tied to the Finals at roughly $28 million over a three‑year span, and Visit Fort Worth has been a key partner in keeping PBR's marquee events rooted in the region. Fort Worth Report has followed the investments and long-term agreements that help keep the World Finals in North Texas.
Tickets and travel
Tickets, which went on sale in August, are available through PBRWorldFinals.com as well as at the Cowtown Coliseum and Dickies Arena box offices. Dickies Arena's event page highlights the four championship performances May 14–17 and notes that group and premium-package options are on the table for fans looking to level up their seats. Travelers are being encouraged to lock in hotel rooms and local transit early for the two Finals weekends, since the schedule splits crowds between Stockyards dates and downtown dates.
Between the close‑quarters grit of Cowtown and the big-room drama at Dickies, Fort Worth is getting a season finale that mixes old-school rodeo roots with modern sports spectacle. Riders will be chasing the gold buckle, and the city is lining up to ride the wave of fans coming with them.
