The Calgary Stampede and the Calgary Stampeders feel like a perfect match. Football and partying, tailgates and concerts — the two should blend seamlessly. But for the last 80 years, they haven’t. The Stampeders actually schedule away games during the Stampede to avoid the rodeo and accompanying debauchery.
But finally, both are working together. And their goal is to create something special for football fans and cowpokes alike: the inaugural Stampede Bowl. As Calgary Stampeders president Jay McNeil puts it, “We’re kicking off The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth with The Greatest Outdoor Show on Turf.”
On July 3, the night before Stampede, the Stampeders will play host to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium. Winnipeg, which has gone to five straight Grey Cups, were specifically chosen to give the Stampeders their biggest test on the big night.
“To be the best, you have to beat the best,” says McNeil.
The winner will even get to take home a trophy fit for one of the biggest games of the CFL regular season.
But even for those not-so-diehard football fans, the Stampede Bowl is a great way to start your festivities. The tailgating, atmosphere, and afterparties are going to be electric, with the two sides working together to put on a one-of-a-kind show.
“We want to see 30,000 cowboy hats filling McMahon Stadium,” says McNeil. “We do so much from a fan perspective for all our games, but we want to make this one even bigger and bolder.”
Even the players know the third of July is going to be crazy, whether they’re from Calgary or not. “They understand this is something bigger. On every level, we’re trying to make this special,” says McNeil.
Part of the “bigger and bolder” is the halftime show. Not often do you see a concert at a CFL regular season game, but this isn’t just any other Stampeders game in the middle of the summer. This is the Stampede Bowl.
“We talked about, ‘What do we want this whole game to feel like?’ and the song that kept coming to mind was [Poison’s] ‘Nothing But a Good Time,’” says McNeil. “And we went, ‘Could we actually do this?’ and next thing you know, we’ve got Bret Michaels.”
That’s right. The lead singer of the legendary band Poison — of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and “Talk Dirty To Me” fame — will let the good times roll at halftime at the Stampede Bowl.
The game will have something for everyone. Fantastic football and atmosphere for the thousands of passionate Stampeders fans in attendance, and tailgates, beers, and music for people just looking to kick off their Stampede with a bang. It’s wild that this partnership has taken this long to happen, but it’ll be well worth the wait.
Speaking of tailgates, the pregame celebration might be the best part of the whole day. The Stampeders are known for their parking lot parties, but there’s more in store for Stampede Eve. While nothing is final yet, the Stampeders and Stampede are focused on making the afternoon before the big game remarkable.
“We have the best tailgating in the CFL already, but we want to make it that much better,” says McNeil. “We’ve got a whole bunch of ideas on the table right now, but no matter what, it’s going to be fun.”
A big part of the partnership between the Stampede and the Stampeders is ticket packages. As of now, you can get seats at the game and access to the Stampede Grounds together with one purchase. As we move closer to July 3, more packages will be announced, including bundles with rodeos, chuck wagons, and more. Cheapskates, take notice: this is a wicked way to save some cash at both events!
A game like this makes too much sense. Honestly, it’s a shock that it’s taken this long for the Stampede Bowl to happen. But better late than never.
The plan is for this to stick; for every Stampede to begin with a party at McMahon Stadium. Whether you’re into throwing the pig skin, tailgating with pals, classic rock music, cowboy hats, or anything Albertan, the Stampede Bowl has been a long time coming. And it’s finally here.
The Stampede Bowl kicks off July 3 at McMahon Stadium. Tickets are available at stampeders.com and calgarystampede.com.
