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Everything is bigger in Texas. It’s no surprise that one of the biggest rodeos in the world is in Houston. They say go big or go home. As a full time digital nomad my only option is to go big! I went big and went to the biggest indoor rodeo for my very first rodeo. Will it be your first rodeo too?

The Houston Fat Stock Show was established in 1932 to promote agriculture and celebrate western heritage. Now called The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo or the Houston Rodeo for short, it continues its mission with a huge focus on Texas youth and education. Since 1932 over $600 million has been dedicated to Texas youth and education.

While the rodeo every day is a big part of the event, there is so much more to the Houston Rodeo than just the “rodeo”. With big name performers, agricultural exhibits, free shows, carnival rides, and more, NRG Park (home of the rodeo) is full of fun things to do.

The Houston Rodeo website contains a lot of helpful information, but there are probably some things you are wondering as a newbie. I’m going to share with you everything you need to know, including what I wished I knew ahead of time. Here’s how to prepare for the Houston Rodeo with events leading up to the main event, how to buy tickets, what to do at the rodeo, and more!

How to Prepare for the Houston Rodeo

Unleash Your Inner Cowgirl or Cowboy

Before attending the rodeo you’ll want to sort out your rodeo attire. Almost everyone wears cowboy boots and cowboy hats. If you’re someone who likes to dress the part, you’ll be disappointed if you don’t don your best western gear.

If you don’t have cowboy boots Houston has plenty of western wear stores. Cavendar’s Boot City and Boot Barn are large chain stores with numerous locations both in and outside of Texas. Tecovas also has stores across the country, but the majority are in the southwest. It’s more of a boutique store and it’s the easiest of any of the three to reach from downtown or Midtown if you don’t have a car. The majority of the boots at these three stores run from about $150 to $300 a pair.

Leon Western Wear is a local small business. Pinto Ranch has three Texas locations including two in Houston. They sell unique, handmade boots in a variety of animal leathers. Most boots range from $400 – $1500 a pair.

Do you want handmade custom boots? Locals trust Al’s Handmade Boots. Alvaro Riveria is an expert boots craftsman who has been in the business for multiple decades. The boots will set you back at least $1399.

Don’t save this purchase for the last minute. Whether you buy some boots from Amazon (like me) or splurge for custom made (like I wish I could), be sure to break those boots in before an 11 hour day at the rodeo. Not that I am speaking from experience or anything! Also make sure to wear long socks inside your boots. There are boot socks, but I found that darn tough hiking socks worked great.

You can also purchase boots, hats, and other western wear when you arrive at the rodeo. See the shopping section below.

Run the Rodeo Run & Attend the Houston Rodeo Parade: March 1st, 2025

The Houston Rodeo run kicks off the rodeo season. It begins with a wheelchair race, followed by 5K and 10k races. There is even a “sleep in” option to donate and not have to run!

Don’t sleep in too long or you’ll miss the Houston Rodeo parade. Held downtown the Saturday before the rodeo, it draws a large crowd. The parade includes Houston Rodeo members, local marching bands, and a variety of elaborate floats.

What really sets the parade apart from other parades are the Houston Rodeo Trail Riders. In 1952 four men rode their horses to Houston to increase awareness for the rodeo. Now 73 years later (in 2025) it is an annual tradition before the rodeo. Eleven different trail ride groups head to Houston. Each Trail Ride consists of riders, horses, and wagons. In 2024 there were about 3000 participants across 11 Trail Rides. Some travel over 200 miles to reach Houston! They all arrive in Memorial Park the night before the parade. They are an essential part of kickstarting the rodeo season!

The parade begins at Bagby and Walker. It travels to Travis, to Bell, to Louisiana, before ending at Lamar & Bagby. Louisiana St is typically less crowded and has more shade.There are announcers on most corners introducing each parade unit and providing information. As they share some rodeo facts it’s worth it to stand within earshot of one of the announcers’ tents.

Port a potties are set up along the parade route. Finn Hall is a food hall with clean restrooms to use. It’s also a great place for lunch after the parade. Discover more places to eat and museums to visit in Houston.

Skip the Houston Rodeo BBQ: February 27th – March 1st, 2025

There are a few other events before the actual Houston Rodeo dates. One of them is the BBQ. What could be better than trying BBQ samples from numerous competitors? The BBQ cook-off is probably great to attend…..if you have an invite to a private tent! Without an invite you’re only able to get a plate of BBQ from one place. If you are staying nearby, it might be worth the trip. If not I would save the journey to NRG Park when the rodeo is in full swing and everything is open. There are plenty of good BBQ places around Houston to try. The Pit Room had some of the best brisket I had anywhere in Texas.

Buy Your Houston Rodeo Tickets

What types of tickets are there?

Blake Shelton Concert at the Houston Rodeo — View from section 129, row EE

Option 1: Grounds Tickets

These tickets let you into the grounds and give you access to everything other than the nightly rodeo and headliner concert. Basically like a state fair ticket without the carnival rides and games, food, and headliner concert included.

If you really don’t want to go to the rodeo and concert they may be your best option. One night I had tickets for $25 so at $20 for just the grounds, you’ll often get a much better deal when you buy rodeo tickets. You can usually find tickets to the upper levels for less than $20 so even if you don’t want to go you can buy those tickets for less and skip the rodeo and show at night.

Option 2: Rodeo/Concert Tickets

As the rodeo is such a big part of the event, I recommend this option for at least one day. You’ll show the same ticket to enter the grounds and then to enter NRG stadium at night for the rodeo and concert.

Option 3: Season tickets

Season tickets are also available for grounds passes and rodeo/concert passes. The rodeo/concert passes sell quickly.

Where Should I Buy Tickets?

All tickets can be purchased directly through the Houston Rodeo website. The website is really bad. The seating map is quite glitchy. Well, worse than glitchy. It mostly freezes and doesn’t let you move around to choose seats. It also doesn’t work in some countries abroad without a VPN.

This led me to TicketMaster and StubHub where you can purchase grounds tickets or rodeo/concert tickets. I was hesitant about buying tickets through StubHub, but I am so glad I did. The seating map comes up clearly on both sites. You’ll be able to choose your section and row, but the seat isn’t shown until after purchase. Be aware that after fees are included the total cost is about double what is initially shown on StubHub.

After purchasing through StubHub, I received my tickets on the official ATX app (same as if I bought them through the official source) within 5 minutes of purchase. I’m not an official source for the rodeo so please note whenever buying tickets through a 3rd party you do so at your own risk.

What Rodeo/Concert Seats are Best?

Carly Pearce performing at the Houston Rodeo — View from section 124 row D

NRG Stadium, home of the Texans, holds over 70,000 people. It can be hard to choose where to sit for the Houston Rodeo as unlike a football game the action on the “field” is quite different.

Seating goes from sections in the 100s on the first level to the 800s sections at the top. Each section starts with row A and then goes through the alphabet and begins again with AA. There are about 7 rows in front of row A in the 100s sections (the action seats).

Row numbers begin with 1 on the side closest to the lower number. In section 129 seat 1 is closest to section 128 and seat 25 is closest to section 130. The number of seats varies per section.

A seat in one of the 100s sections is best. The first night I sat in section 129, row EE. It was right in front of the gates for some of the events like tie down roping and steer wrestling. It’s also in front of the area sectioned off for the mutton bustin.

The next night I sat in section 124 row D. This is closer to other events including the bareback riding, barrel racing, and bull riding. While row D was a lot closer, I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a better seat. It’s still hard to see a lot of the action and the performer is way in the center. I ended up watching the jumbo screens a lot and they are easier to see from higher up in the 100s sections.

The chute seats are over the chutes, where the bulls come out. The seats are located under sections 116 and 117. During the concert you get to move to seating in the arena closer to the stage.

The performer is on a circular stage that slowly rotates for the entire concert.

Travel to NRG Park

The Houston Rodeo takes place at NRG Park. The park grounds, NRG Arena, NRG Stadium, and NRG Center make up the NRG Park. The nightly rodeo and concert happens in NRG Stadium within the park. Other events take place within NRG Arena and NRG Center.

By Car

Parking at NRG Park is almost as expensive as most tickets. Free shuttles run between the parking lots and grounds.

There are satellite parking lots that range from free to the same pricing as NRG Park. Shuttles to NRG Park are either a few dollars or included in the parking price.

By Rideshare

I didn’t use a rideshare, but I checked Lyft pricing both nights. It was about $10 – 20 one way from NRG Park to Midtown. Drop offs and pickups are in designated parking lots.

By Public Transit

The metro rail red line that runs from downtown and through Midtown goes directly to the stadium.

In the evenings there can be a long wait to get on the metro rail. It gets quite crowded, but it is full of rodeo goers and not the usual homeless crowd. Nobody pays as there is way too much going on. Once on the train you can get to Midtown in about 17 minutes and reach downtown in about 25 minutes. It’s really not that much longer than driving and with all the traffic it may even be faster.

As I don’t own a car and always use public transit, I may be a bit biased when I say to take public transit…..but it is the best option!

Transportation at NRG Park

Once through an entry gate to NRG Park you can walk to all the buildings and everywhere on the grounds. There is also a free shuttle. Scooters, strollers, and wagons can be rented.

Explore Everything at the Houston Rodeo: March 4th – 23rd, 2025

The rodeo is so much more than just a rodeo! The grounds feel like a huge state fair with free performances, a carnival, exhibitor halls, food, and plenty of activities for the whole family.

I easily spent two full afternoons before going into the stadium for the rodeo and concert. Here is an overview of all the different things to do.

Shopping at the Houston Rodeo

NRG Center is full of shopping. If you don’t have your western clothes already, head here first. Most of the western stores around Houston all have small stores set up here. Ariat, Boot Barn, and Cavendars are among the stores.

Make sure to shop around as a lot of the vendors sell the same item for different prices. I bought my pink cowgirl hat here and got it for $15 cheaper than at another booth. As you want your hat to fit snugly, you may want to try children’s hats as they are also cheaper.

While I think it’s much easier to shop at the festival, you’ll have to carry around your purchases or change of attire the rest of the day (unless you have a car).

My favorite part of the shopping was all the food booths with samples!

Horse & Livestock Shows at the Houston Rodeo

As one of the committee members told me, agriculture is the reason for the rodeo. While the rodeo itself and concerts draw the crowds, it’s really all the agricultural events that make the rodeo what it is.

There is a full schedule of horse and livestock competitions in the NRG Arena and NRG Center. As a Wisconsin girl who grew up going to county fairs I’m no stranger to farming, but the ranching side of raising livestock is a little different to me. I was engrossed in a horse competition where two horse riders needed to get steers to the other side of a pen in a numerical order without letting any others pass them https://blog.fourthfrontier.com/uk/silent-to-symptomatic-arrhythmias-across-daily-life-and-exercise/.

Check the schedule or wander into either of the buildings to see what is happening.

Mutton Bustin’ at the Houston Rodeo

It’s hard to beat the excitement of the rodeo and concert, but one of my favorite parts of the Houston Rodeo is Mutton Bustin’. It’s one of the only rodeo events that you can witness with only a ground’s ticket. You can even participate if you are 5 or 6 years old and under 55lbs!

It takes place on the hour from 11am – 7pm daily in The Junction. Registration can be completed the day of. The event also takes place daily/nightly inside the NRG stadium. You need to register in advance to have your child compete there. You’ll most likely have a much better view at The Junction.

Mutton Bustin’, in either location, is a competition where children need to hang onto a sheep as long as possible. They hug the sheep from the top or the side as the sheep bounds out of the gate. It’s so cute to watch!

Agventure at the Houston Rodeo

Agventure has the perfect name as it is literally a hands-on agricultural adventure! Located within the NRG Center it’s a little farm village full of educational experiences and demonstrations. In the Birthing Center in 2024 74 piglets, 24 lambs, and 19 calves were born!

Art Exhibitors at the Houston Rodeo

There are a lot of cool museums in Houston, but who needs a museum when you have world class art inside of NRG Center? As an avid museum goer I often wonder how some pieces make it into a museum when some amateur art seems much more impressive.

Students from Texas schools compete to show their art at the rodeo for a chance at cash prizes. I was blown away by the talent from the K – 12 students’ art displayed. All of the art is western art, but there is a variety of both 2D and 3D art mediums.

The Houston Rodeo Carnival

The carnival includes about 80 rides and 55 games. The rides range from tamer classics like the ferris wheel to newer, thrill rides like the Joker360.

Carnival admission is included with any of the ticket options, but you’ll need to pay extra to go on the rides and play the games. Tickets can be bought in person and are good for both rides and carnival games. Tickets are $1.25 each. Rides and games require between 3 – 8 tickets each.

There are fast past tickets for $30 that grant you access to the fast pass lanes. You will still need to buy tickets for each ride. Wait times vary based on the day of the week and time of the check. Check the lines before buying the fast pass.

There are no all you can ride wristbands. Online and at the parade you can buy half priced packs. If you’re planning to hit the rides, that’s a good deal as individual tickets add up quickly. Sales for these packs end on parade day.

Live Music at the Houston Rodeo

You don’t need a ticket to the headliner concert to hear live music. The Champion Wine Garden has a daily lineup of live music alongside a variety of wines. Make a reservation to reserve your table or tent.

The Hideout is free and open to anyone 21 and older. A DJ plays music when the Hideout opens at 6pm. Later in the night, after the rodeo concert ends, there is live music. Open until midnight it’s a good spot to hang out if you don’t want the party to end after the rodeo and headliner performer.

Other Shows & Activities at the Houston Rodeo

There is a lot going on around the grounds. If you’re bored at the Houston Rodeo, it’s your own fault!

The Junction stage has family friendly entertainment throughout the day. I saw a mini Cirque du Soleil performance. Other shows like pig races and xtreme dogs take place on their own stages.

The agricultural focus continues with Fun on the Farm. The interactive play experience helps children understand the process of producing agricultural products. In Born to Buck you can see the famous bucking bronco family from the rodeo up close. You’ll be able to get even closer to the animals in the petting zoo.

Food at the Houston Rodeo

What’s an event without food? Around the carnival rides and games there are a lot of typical fair type food vendors with cotton candy, funnel cakes, hot dogs, and lemonades.

Closer to NRG Center on Rodeo Plaza is where you’ll find the local food places. Goode Co Barbecue was the best place I ate at the Houston Rodeo. The line was huge at night, but during the weekdays it’s much quicker. They know how to smoke a good brisket! For dessert I liked The Original Minneapple Pie.

You can bring food into the event, but part of the fun is trying all the different foods.

It’s Time to Rodeo

Entering NRG Stadium

NRG Stadium, where the rodeo and headliner concert are held, opens at 2pm on weekends and 6pm on weekdays. People line up before the gates open. I have no idea why as there are assigned seats. The food is better outside of the stadium. The entertainment lasts about 3 hours so I wouldn’t rush to get in and grab your seat. I even asked an employee why people line up early and he had no clue!

Your ticket will give one of the four corner entrances. I entered at the East Club entrance each night despite my ticket having a different entrance. The line was much shorter and there was no security so I could bring my water bottle inside!

The Grand Entrance

The rodeo begins at 2:45pm on weekends and 6:45pm on the weekdays with the Grand Entrance. The arena becomes packed with rodeo officials on horses and in wagons. It’s a busy spectacle of western style.

Then there is the pledge of allegiance, a prayer, and the singing of the national anthem.

The 8 Competition Events

Team Roping at the Houston Rodeo — Team Roping

The opening events last about 15 minutes. Then it is on to the 8 competitive events. The events are tie-down roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, bareback riding, saddle bronc, team roping, breakaway roping, and bull riding.

Each event has eight different participants. They compete in a super series that lasts 3 days. There are five 3 day super series events. All with the same 8 events, but each super series has a new group of participants for each event.

Within a 3 day super series the same 8 contestants compete each day. They are awarded a total cash prize. The top four in each super series and each event advance to the semifinals where the top four from that round move on to the championships. For an extra chance the athletes who don’t move on have a wild card round before the championships.

Including all the super series, the semifinals, and the championships, the rodeo lasts 20 days. I chatted with rodeo committee members who compared it to the super bowl of rodeos. All the other rodeos leading up to Houston are the “playoffs”. Every athlete at the Houston Rodeo is very talented to get this far already!

Other Rodeo Events

Chuck Wagon Races at the Houston Rodeo — Chuck Wagon Race

The events switch from one side of the arena to the other, so there is not a lot of down time. Right after the 8 competitive events above it is on to the Calf Scramble. FH and FFA members 14 – 18 years old run around the arena trying to catch a calf. If successful they receive a $1,750 certificate for a beef heifer or market steer at next year’s Houston Livestock Show. This event can be quite hilarious to watch!

Next up are the Chuck Wagon Races. During cattle drives in the Old West cowboys would make their own entertainment after a hard day’s work by racing each other in their wagons. The modern version with three wagons with six horses each, is a fun nod back to the Old West.

Finally it is Mutton Bustin’, which I described earlier in the post.

Stay for the Headliner Concert

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani performing at the Houston Rodeo — Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani

Compared to the other rodeos leading up to Houston, the Houston Rodeo receives some of the biggest name performers. The majority of performers are well known country singers, but a few nights are with musicians from other genres.

In 2024 I saw Blake Shelton on opening night and Carly Pearce the next night. I lucked out as those were the two nights I could attend and the two performers I wanted to see the most! When Gwen Stefani came out for a surprise duet with Blake Shelton the crowd went wild. It was so cool to see them perform their newly released “Purple Irises” for one of the first times live.

There is always a mix of repeat performers like Brad Paisley and rising stars like Lainey Wilson. Thankfully 50 Cent wasn’t performing on the night I was there. I would like to point out that the attendance for Lainey Wilson’s debut at the rodeo beat out 50 cent who has been famous for over a couple of decades now! You can’t beat country music in Texas! This year the Houston Rodeo lineup includes country favorites like Reba McEntire, Brooks and Dunn, Riley Green, and Luke Bryan.

There isn’t much of a break between the last rodeo event and the start of the concert. You’ll see the stage being moved into the center of the arena during Mutton Bustin. Concerts usually start around 9pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends.

The concert length can vary but is usually between 45 – 90 minutes with no breaks. At both concerts I attended people sat for the majority of the performances.

With the number of people leaving at the end of the concert you would never guess it, but lots of people start leaving early. It may beat the rush, but what are you in so much of a rush for? Just hang out after the concert and enjoy the after party, the carnival, or more food!

Houston Rodeo FAQs

Where is the Houston Rodeo?

The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo takes place at NRG Park in Houston, Texas. The rodeo and headliner concert is in NRG Stadium within NRG Park.

When is the Houston Rodeo?

March 4th – 23rd, 2025.

What can you bring into the Houston Rodeo?

To enter NRG Park you’ll have your personal items searched and go through a body metal detector. Personal items such as backpacks and purses are allowed. They do not need to be clear.

There is a list of prohibited items including firearms and weapons. Some of the other items on the list are quite odd, like a beachball, so they must have an interesting story behind them as to why they got added to the list. Professional camera equipment and selfie sticks are not allowed.

Additional items are not permitted into NRG Stadium where you may have another search. You can’t bring drink containers, beverages, or food into the stadium. Sealed, unopened purchases bought on the grounds may be brought into the stadium.

Are there water fountains at the rodeo?

You can bring drinks into the park. I brought my trusty refillable Nalgene bottle. There’s no need to buy the expensive bottled water for sale. In NRG Center between hall C and hall D there is a bottle refill water fountain. There are plenty of other regular water fountains throughout the building near the restrooms.

NRG Stadium may not allow drinks to be brought in. I entered through the club entrance on the side both nights where there wasn’t security so I could take water inside.

Where are the restrooms at the Houston Rodeo?

The best restrooms are in all the buildings. There are also port-a-potties around the grounds.

Is there wifi at the rodeo?

NRG Stadium and NRG Center both have free wifi. It can be accessed outside the buildings and from the entrance closest to the metro. The wifi doesn’t cover the entire NRG Park though. From your first time accessing the wifi you have 10 minutes to verify your email to be able to continue using the wifi. I had no problem accessing it without phone data.

Are there charging stations at the Rodeo?

Yes, there are phone charging stations around NRG Park.

When should you get to the rodeo?

The grounds open at 8am daily.

How much time do I need at the rodeo?

I spent about 11 hours my first day and about 9 the second day. Just the rodeo and concert last over 3 hours, but there are plenty of other things to do.

Do I need to bring cash?

NRG stadium is cashless. Most places around the rest of NRG park accept both cash and card. There were a couple shop vendors that only accepted cash. There were plenty where credit cards could be used as payment. I never used cash.

There’s also the official Houston Rodeo app where you can access tickets and more information. Captions for the rodeo are available on the app.

Where Should I Stay to Attend the Houston Rodeo?

My Houston museums post includes where to stay near NRG Park and where to stay in other neighborhoods that are on the red metro line with convenient access.

What if I have other questions?

I emailed the Houston Rodeo a couple of times and never received a response back. There are information booths around the grounds. The volunteers and committee members I talked with in person were very helpful. Make sure to pick up a visitor’s guide when you enter. It has all the maps, schedules, and guides in it.

I’m lucky enough to visit a lot of places and attend many cool events. Some I am glad I attended, but wouldn’t go out of my way to visit again. The Houston Rodeo is one that I would love to make an annual tradition! If it’s your first rodeo, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. If I helped you prepare for the rodeo, please consider thanking me by supporting me by Buying Me a Coffee.