Tickets for the 2027 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo went on sale to the general public Monday, opening the gates to a 23-day run of rodeo performances, livestock competitions and carnival midway fun that has become one of the biggest annual draws in North Texas. Rodeo performances at Dickies Arena are scheduled to run January 15 through February 6, 2027, with a lineup that includes the PRCA rodeo tournament, the Cowboys of Color Rodeo, Bulls Night Out and the Best of Mexico.
Monday's public sale followed a four-day presale window for registered “Insiders” using the promo code DICKIES, which ran from last Thursday through yesterday, according to CBS News Texas. Fans can buy tickets online through Ticketmaster, by phone, or in person at the Dickies Arena Box Office, per Dickies Arena.
A Rodeo Purse That Rivals the Pros' Biggest Stops
The PRORODEO tournament carries a $1.6 million prize purse, placing it among the top five highest-paying rodeos sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, per Dickies Arena. The 16-day tournament format awards $20,000 to each discipline winner, giving competitors an early-season benchmark as they chase qualification for the National Finals Rodeo.
Every rodeo performance ticket also comes with same-day general admission to the wider stock show grounds, covering livestock exhibits, horse competitions and the Carnival Midway, according to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. General admission bought separately, without a rodeo ticket, runs $15 for adults and $8 for children.
A Nine-Figure Boost for the Local Economy
The stakes for Fort Worth extend well beyond the arena floor. A 2026 economic impact study commissioned by the City of Fort Worth estimated the 23-day event generates more than $100 million in direct local spending, with total residual spending across North Texas reaching as high as $250 million, according to a report from Elearning. Hotel occupancy exceeds 85% during peak weekends, making the stock show the city's biggest driver of first-quarter hotel room nights, the same report notes.
That surge in visitors tends to strain the Cultural District, prompting the city to roll out temporary shuttle services and expanded ride-share drop-off zones along University Drive during the busiest stretches, per the same account. It remains to be seen whether 2027 ticket sales will top past attendance benchmarks or how the city will manage the resulting traffic congestion around West 7th Street and the Cultural District during peak rodeo weekends.
Rodeo Performances Return to a Modernized Dickies Arena
Rodeo performances take place inside Dickies Arena, which opened in November 2019 after a $540 million public-private partnership and seats 9,300 for rodeo events, according to Wikipedia. The arena, owned by the City of Fort Worth and operated by Trail Drive Management Corporation, can hold up to 14,000 for concerts.
Dickies Arena took over as the main rodeo venue in 2020, after the historic Will Rogers Coliseum had served that role for 76 years. Fort Worth and the stock show later completed a $40 million jointly funded upgrade to the Will Rogers Memorial Center livestock barns in December 2024, expanding stalling capacity for sheep, goat and swine exhibitors by 41%, as Hoodline previously reported. The remodeled barns feature flat-floor designs and climate control, allowing year-round use for trade shows and banquets.
Earlier in 2026, the 1936 Will Rogers Coliseum itself underwent an estimated $50 million renovation covering concourse reconfigurations, restroom expansions, HVAC updates, and Art Deco restoration, a project Hoodline detailed in its rodeo-ready renovation coverage.
A Record-Setting Youth Auction and a 130-Year Legacy
The stock show's youth programs delivered a headline moment of their own in February 2026, when the Grand Champion Steer, named White Castle, sold for $550,000 at the Junior Sale of Champions, setting an all-time auction record and pushing total youth auction sales to $10.19 million, according to KERA News. That sale broke the previous record of $440,000 set in 2023, underscoring the financial backing Texas 4-H and FFA participants can now command.
The event's roots stretch back to 1896, when it was founded along Marine Creek as the Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show, created to encourage livestock trading and draw meat-packing operations to Cowtown. In 1918, the stock show established the world's first indoor rodeo inside the Northside Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards, according to Wikipedia. Nearly 130 years later, that legacy now runs alongside a rebuilt arena campus and a ticketing rush that shows no signs of slowing down.
