Blockbuster 2022 event helps Stampede “turn the corner” after two years of losses

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As many Calgarians returned their cowboy hats and boots to the warehouse, officials took a bow to a successful 2022 Calgary Stampede, one they hope will help the organization bounce back after two difficult years.

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At a news conference Sunday morning, Stampede officials said the number of attendees at the 10-day event was forecast to hit the 1.2 million mark when the park closed, just shy of about 1, 3 million attendees for the 2018 and 2019 editions of the event. That is likely to put the 2022 event as the fourth most attended in history, still well behind the record 1.4 million for the centennial celebration in 2012 and second and third in 2018 and 2019.

Regardless of the records, those numbers are a huge boost for Stampede after a full cancellation caused by COVID-19 in 2020 and a scaled-down event in 2021 that saw the nonprofit lose a combined nearly $35 million.

“I think it’s fair to say that Stampede and Calgary are back,” Stampede President Steve McDonough said shortly after the park opened from the third floor of the under-construction expansion to the BMO Center.

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“Watching all the celebrations of our Western heritage and culture that have taken place in the last 10 days, not only in Stampede Park but also in the community, is truly moving. Calgary got that boost we were all hoping for.”

Officials hope the successful 2022 campaign will hasten the organization’s recovery after two straight years of losses. Stampede CEO Joe Cowley said he still anticipates it will be several years before the business is back to where it was before the pandemic, but said this year’s successful show allows the organization to “turn the corner.” and serve the community to the extent we wish.”

As officials budgeted for the 2022 event in the fall of 2021, the threat of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 grew, further destabilizing already uncertain deliberations. Cowley said his estimate was based on a lofty assumption of about a million visitors and would have neutralized them and “stabilized the organization.”

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“We weren’t really sure about that budget,” he said. “But as Stampede 2022 got closer, we could feel there was an enormous amount of excitement in the community…Going in, we really felt like we were going to top a million. We weren’t sure we’d hit 1.2 million, but it looks like we’ll top 1.2 million visitors this year.”

The Stampede also kicked off this year with an unprecedented parade, directed by Kevin Costner. Officials said 305,122 people attended the parade, estimating it to be one of the largest crowds ever for the opening day event.

The most encouraging thing Cowley said he saw this year compared to last was the return of out-of-towners and international tourists to Stampede.

“I spent a few days at Elbow River Camp at the Powwow they were putting on and they always call people from outside of Canada on stage,” he said. “It was incredible how many people got on that stage. That’s really significant for us, to house the world, and obviously it’s significant for Calgary from an economic impact standpoint.”

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Sunday may have marked the end of the Stampede, but construction continues on the grounds to enhance future events.

On Friday, crews broke ground on the long-awaited SAM Center, expected to be the “jewel in the crown” of the Stampede youth center located just north of the Saddledome on 12th Avenue SE. The center will be an interactive space to share Calgary’s history. Stampede throughout the year while the grounds are empty.

Also underway is the expansion of the BMO Center, which took over a good chunk of what would normally be by the middle of this year with construction fencing as crews continued to pound the fairgrounds. The $500 million expansion will double the BMO’s space to more than one million square feet, making it one of the largest convention centers in Western Canada when complete.

Construction of the BMO Center is currently expected to be completed before the 2024 Stampede.