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The Calgary Stampede said that more than 500,000 people passed through the gates at this year’s event, a sharp drop from previous years.
Considering that there have been fewer incidents than usual after the province’s pandemic restrictions were lifted, and admissions were restricted, this decline is not surprising.
A total of 528,998 guests participated in the 10-day event.
The organization said in a press release on Monday: “The Calgary Stampede has been a trailblazer in our 109-year history, but it has never surpassed this year.”
“Thank you for joining us in Stampede your way and celebrating the greatest outdoor show on earth.”
The most recent regular version of the festival attracted 1,275,465 and 1,271,241 visitors in 2019 and 2018, respectively. 2019 is the second most attended Calgary Stampede since Stampede celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on public gatherings, the event was cancelled last year for the first time in nearly 100 years.
The cancellation caused the festival to lose an unprecedented US$26.5 million in 2020—a far cry from the roughly US$150 million in annual revenue normally brought by the event.
Stampede Chairman Steve McDonough said on Sunday that the Cowboy Festival in 2021 is a “wild trip”-thinking that the festival represents the safe return of live events and should become a model for Calgary and Canada .
McDonough said: “Success is also a much-needed impetus for local businesses and the start-up of our economy.”
“No matter how you measure it, Stampede 2021 is a success.”
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