From the moment Miss Rita strutted onstage, it was clear this was a reunion long overdue. It’s been 14 years since she last unleashed her glorious chaos on Calgary, and she called it out right away — showering praise on her friends at the High Performance Rodeo and declaring the festival’s 40th anniversary the perfect excuse to bring her merry band of amigos roaring back into town.
And roar they did.
The WinSport Event Centre crackled with the kind of electric, anything-could-happen energy that only Miss Rita’s Lucha VaVOOM delivers: lucha libre wrestling smashing headlong into burlesque, drag, comedy, aerials, and theatrical excess. Fans who still talked about the legendary 2012 appearance were thrilled by the triumphant return of the Crazy Chickens, while first-timers quickly learned that in Miss Rita’s world, the fourth wall is more of a friendly suggestion.
The night got a delicious splash of local flavour from Calgary icon Karla Marx, who stepped in as co-host and colour commentator with impeccable timing and razor-sharp wit. Local showgirls and masterful burlesque artists like Holly Graphic and Bitch Sassidy more than held their own alongside the touring cast, earning whoops, hollers, and unfiltered admiration. Tassels twirled. The crowd went wild.
From commanding ringleaders like Natasha Estrada to gravity-defying aerialists like Veronica Yune, the entire production was pure eye candy — maximalist, muscular, and unapologetically over the top. Wrestlers like Vampiro Blanco and Jaguar Rojo tussled with local favourites Mo “Kid Chocolate” Jabari and Andy Anderson, blurring the line between hero, heel, and hometown legend.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any closer, the action spilled straight into the crowd. Much to the delight of fans, wrestlers like Blanco drove their entrances through the audience, wiped sweat on delighted spectators, locked eyes, broke rules, and revelled fully in the madness.
This wasn’t just a show — it was a party. A spectacle. A love letter to joyful chaos. And a reminder that 40 years in, the High Performance Rodeo is still very much choosing artistic risk, wild energy, and the thrill of the unexpected.
Relive it all below!
