Houston Rodeo 2027 Guide: Tickets, Parking, Concerts, and What to Eat

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (everyone calls it RodeoHouston or just "the Rodeo") runs for about three weeks every late February and March at NRG Park, draws 2.5 million people, and is the single biggest thing that happens in Houston each year. First-timers get confused by it. Here's how it works.

2027 dates: Expected to run from roughly March 2 to March 21, 2027, with the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest the weekend before (Feb 25–27). Dates are confirmed by the Rodeo each fall; we update this page when they are. Check current dates and tickets.

Two kinds of tickets

Grounds tickets (about $20) get you into NRG Park: the carnival, the livestock show, the shopping halls, the food, and the outdoor stages. They do not get you into the stadium.

Rodeo/concert tickets get you into NRG Stadium for the evening: two hours of rodeo competition followed by that night's headline concert. This ticket includes grounds admission. Prices run from about $20 in the upper deck to hundreds on the floor.

Tickets go on sale in early January, and the big-name nights sell out in minutes. The Rodeo sells directly via its site; a resale market exists for sold-out nights. Check rodeo and concert tickets →.

The concert lineup

Announced in early January. Expect country headliners on most nights plus Go Tejano Day, Black Heritage Day, and a handful of pop and Latin acts. Historically the biggest nights: opening night, both Saturdays, and Go Tejano Day. Buy those the morning they go on sale.

Getting there and parking

Do not drive to NRG Park on a weekend night unless you enjoy sitting in a parking lot for an hour afterward.

• METRORail Red Line: the correct answer. Park at Fannin South (the end of the line, cheap) or downtown, ride to the Stadium Park/Astrodome station, walk in. Trains run late.
• Park & Ride: the Rodeo runs shuttle lots from around the city for a small fee. Fast and painless.
• NRG lots: $20-plus, sell out, slow exits.

What to eat

Rodeo food is a competitive sport. The classics: turkey legs, fried Oreos, the annual "Gold Buckle Foodie Awards" winners (look for the signs), and the pork chop on a stick. On the grounds, the Rodeo Uncorked! wine garden is where adults hide.

The BBQ Cook-off (the weekend before the rodeo starts) is a different animal: 250 teams cooking in private tents. The public tents serve plates for free with admission, but the real party is being invited into a team's tent. Ask around.

With kids

The livestock show side (baby animals, the petting zoo, mutton bustin', the AGVENTURE hall) is enormous and mostly free with grounds admission. Weekday afternoons are calm; weekends are packed. The carnival costs extra via a wristband or tickets.

What to wear

Boots and a hat are welcome and not required. It's March: pack a jacket for the evening. Comfortable shoes are non-negotiable; you'll walk miles.

Where to stay

Hotels near NRG (Medical Center, Reliant area) book up early and prices double. Consider Downtown or the Museum District and take the Red Line. Compare hotels on the Red Line →.

Trail rides and the parade

The week before opening day, trail riders on horseback arrive in Memorial Park from as far as 400 miles away, then ride through downtown in the Rodeo Parade on the Saturday before opening. Free, and a proper Houston spectacle.

Related

• Sports and game-day guides
• What's on this weekend
• Museum District neighborhood guide