The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks will once again fill with wagging tails and show leashes next month, as the National Dog Show returns for its 25th anniversary as a Thanksgiving television tradition. Up to 2,000 dogs representing 205 breeds and varieties are expected to compete across the two-day event, set for Nov. 14-15.
According to PhillyVoice, the show begins at 8 a.m. both days, with admission set at $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 4 through 11, while kids 3 and under get in free. The event is a single-venue, benched show, meaning the roughly 2,000 competing dogs stay at designated spots throughout the fairgrounds all day, giving visitors a chance to see them up close between judging rounds, according to the National Dog Show’s official site.
Beyond the judging rings, the weekend includes agility demonstrations, therapy dogs, veterinarians from Purina and Penn Vet, and more than 75 vendors selling pet products and services, PhillyVoice reports. The show itself features 13 breed judging rings, and Best in Show will be announced at approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, per the event’s official information page.
A Partnership Decades in the Making
Purina has been the National Dog Show’s main sponsor and a founding partner since the beginning, helping bring the event to life every year since, according to a company press release. The event showcases purebred dogs competing for titles including Best of Breed, First in Group and ultimately Best in Show, with 205 breeds and varieties eligible to compete this year, according to the National Dog Show’s show information page.
As NBC10 Philadelphia reports, the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and its predecessor clubs have been presenting national and local dog shows since 1879. Competition was interrupted by the Great Depression from 1928 through 1932 before resuming in 1933, according to the station. Jon Miller, president of acquisitions and partnerships for NBC Sports, created the modern televised event alongside the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and Purina, NBC10 Philadelphia notes.
Miller told the station that many people believe the show has existed longer than 25 years, and that organizers are already looking forward to future anniversaries. The National Dog Show has aired on NBC since 2002, per NBC10 Philadelphia’s reporting.
Holiday Broadcast Follows the Macy’s Parade
The show will be taped for a nationwide broadcast on NBC on Thanksgiving Day, airing immediately after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, according to the National Dog Show’s show information page. NBC10 Philadelphia reports the broadcast is scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, from noon to 2 p.m. Eastern.
Audience figures for the broadcast have varied across sources. The National Dog Show’s own site describes reaching an audience of nearly 20 million viewers and calls it the most widely viewed dog show in America. WHYY has reported the audience grew from 9 million viewers in the show’s first year to 25 million every Thanksgiving Day, while Canine Chronicle has cited a figure of 24.6 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. Canine Chronicle also reported that attendance at the Expo Center and NBC ratings data each registered an 11 percent increase over the prior year in one comparison.
How This Year Compares to Past Shows
The 2026 event follows a similar format to recent years. The 2022 show, held Nov. 19-20 at the same Oaks venue, anticipated around 2,000 dogs representing more than 190 breeds and had previously drawn upwards of 15,000 attendees, according to NBC10 Philadelphia’s earlier coverage. Ticket prices have risen slightly since then — 2022 admission ran $16 for adults and $7 for children ages 4 to 11, compared with this year’s $20 and $10 price points.
