Calgary Stampede attendance nears 1M mark as 2023 event winds down

Nearly one million people have visited the Calgary Stampede this year with the potential for overall attendance at the 2023 event to be record-breaking.

Nearly one million people have visited the Calgary Stampede this year with the potential for overall attendance at the 2023 event to be record-breaking.

On Thursday, more than 100,000 people filed through the gates to visit the grounds as the annual celebration hit the one-week mark.

Now, with only Friday, Saturday and Sunday left before the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth ends, officials are waiting to see how overall attendance numbers will fare.

As of Thursday, total attendance at the 2023 event sat at 978,421, including Sneak-A-Peek on Thursday, July 6.

The high numbers come despite a mix of rainy weather, intense heat and wildfire smoke that prompted an air quality statement.

The Calgary Stampede's attendance record is 1,409,371, set in 2012.

In 2019, the Stampede hit its second-highest attendance with 1,275,465 visitors.