Rodeo 2027 dates and the days around it
The 2027 Rodeo opens on Tuesday, March 2 and closes on Sunday, March 21. The week before belongs to the kickoff events downtown and at NRG Park, and single-day tickets for 2027 went on sale on August 4, 2026.
Go Texan Day and Go Tejano Day are two different days, easy to confuse. Go Texan Day is the Western-wear kickoff in late February; Go Tejano Day is the Rodeo’s Hispanic-heritage day in March.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thu Feb 25 to Sat Feb 27 | The BBQ cook-off (World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest) | NRG Park |
| Fri Feb 26 | Go Texan Day, with the free Rodeo Roundup from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Hermann Square, downtown |
| Fri Feb 26, afternoon | Trail rides arrive | Memorial Park |
| Sat Feb 27, 10 a.m. | Downtown Rodeo Parade and the Rodeo Run | Downtown and Allen Parkway |
| Tue Mar 2 to Sun Mar 21 | Livestock show, carnival, rodeo and concerts | NRG Park |
| Sun Mar 14 | Go Tejano Day | NRG Park |
What does a day at the Rodeo look like?
The grounds and the livestock show open at 8 a.m. every day. The carnival runs from late morning to 11 p.m., and the evening ends in the stadium with the rodeo performance followed by a concert. The timings below follow the 2026 season; the Rodeo posts the 2027 hours closer to opening.
Weekdays and weekends run on different clocks. A weekday performance starts at 6:45 p.m., its gates open at 6 p.m., and the entertainer comes on at about 9:15 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays the performance starts at 2:45 p.m., with gates at 2 p.m. Grounds admission tickets stop selling at 9 p.m.
| Time | Weekday | Saturday or Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| 8 a.m. | Grounds and livestock show open | Grounds and livestock show open |
| Carnival opens | 11 a.m. (2 p.m. on opening day) | 10 a.m. |
| Stadium gates | 6 p.m. | 2 p.m. |
| Rodeo performance | 6:45 p.m. | 2:45 p.m. |
| Concert | About 9:15 p.m. | After the performance |
| Carnival closes | 11 p.m. | 11 p.m. |
How to get to the Rodeo: five ways compared
Costs below are the Rodeo’s and METRO’s own published figures for the 2026 season, and ours come from our current hourly prices. Check each official page again before March.
| Option | What it costs | Where you get in and out | The last ride home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive and park | $25 per car, cashless, in the official lots | Yellow, 610 or OST Lot, then a free tram | Whenever you leave |
| Park and ride | Free parking plus $7 round trip at West Loop or Monroe; $4 at Maxey | Shuttle from a satellite lot | Final bus from the grounds: 1 a.m. (Sun to Thu) or 2 a.m. (Fri, Sat) |
| METRORail Red Line | $1.25 one way | Fannin South station | Northbound until about 1:30 a.m. Monday to Saturday, 11:24 p.m. Sunday |
| Rideshare or taxi | Set by the app | East end of Yellow Lot 35, near Lantern Point and McNee Rd | Depends on drivers available as the crowd leaves |
| Private chauffeur | From $280.00 for 3 hours (Executive Sedan) | Green Lot, Gate 13, off Lantern Point Dr | On an hourly booking, the car stays with your booking |
Where a private car drops off and picks up
During the Rodeo, limousines and private buses have a designated zone of their own: the Green Lot, Gate 13, at 8499 Lantern Point Dr. It is separate from the rideshare lot. Space is limited and works first come, first served, and every driver follows the parking attendants.
Two more details shape the night. Kirby Drive near the venue closes at 9 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on weekends, which can change the route out. And Houston news outlets have warned visitors about parking scams near NRG Park; a chauffeured ride avoids the need to use an unofficial parking lot.
Before the night we send you the exact meeting point by text.
Group sizing: families, friends and company groups
Count the people leaving from one address. A Rodeo night is long, and the ride home comes after the concert, so give everyone a real seat.
| Group | People | Suggested vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| A couple, or two friends with a parent | 2 to 3 | Executive Sedan (3) or the S-Class (3) |
| A family with children | 4 to 6 | Chevrolet Suburban (6) or GMC Yukon XL (6), both with cargo room for jackets and souvenirs |
| Friends for a concert night | 5 to 6 | Lincoln Navigator (5) or Cadillac Escalade (6) |
| A team or a client outing | 7 to 13 | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (13) |
| A company group from the office | 14 to 34 | Mini Coach (24) or Coach (34), quoted on request |
| A birthday or a bachelorette crowd | Varies | Party bus or SUV limo from our partners, on request |
A Rodeo night plan, priced by the block
Choose 3, 4 or 5 hours by comparing your pickup and return times with the published event schedule. Prices are the same for pickups in any of our Houston service areas (Downtown, Galleria, the Texas Medical Center, IAH, Hobby, The Woodlands, Katy and Sugar Land), on weekdays and weekends alike, with the car and chauffeur for the whole block. Nights longer than 5 hours, coaches and partner vehicles are quoted by text.
| Vehicle | 3 hours | 4 hours | 5 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Sedan | $280.00 | $340.00 | $425.00 |
| Mercedes-Benz S-Class | $375.00 | $500.00 | $625.00 |
| Chevrolet Suburban | $255.00 | $340.00 | $425.00 |
| GMC Yukon XL | $285.00 | $380.00 | $475.00 |
| Cadillac Escalade | $375.00 | $500.00 | $625.00 |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | $375.00 | $500.00 | $625.00 |
The trail rides and the Downtown Rodeo Parade
Twelve official trail rides converge on Houston every year, a tradition that began in 1952 with four riders from Brenham. Today more than 2,000 riders take part, covering well over 1,000 miles between them; the Mission Vaqueros, for example, set out from Goliad. The rides reach Memorial Park on the Friday, camp there, and ride downtown the next morning.
The parade, a tradition since 1938, starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 27, 2027, at Bagby and Walker. It heads east on Walker, south on Travis, west on Bell, north on Louisiana, then along Lamar to finish at Lamar and Bagby. The best viewing is on Louisiana Street between Bell and Lamar. The Rodeo Run happens the same morning along Allen Parkway.
Closures begin downtown around 8:30 a.m. and lift at roughly 2 p.m. Garages such as the Alley Theater Garage, One Market Square Garage and 1100 Smith set their own fees. With a car, plan a drop-off and pickup point outside the published street closures.
The BBQ cook-off, Go Texan Day and Go Tejano Day
The World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest runs February 25 to 27, 2027, the weekend before the Rodeo opens, with more than 250 cook teams. Most team tents are invitation-only, so groups usually arrive together and leave late; our cook-off page covers hours, admission and getting a tent group home.
Go Texan Day, Friday, February 26, 2027, asks the whole city to wear Western clothes and starts with the free Rodeo Roundup at Hermann Square. Go Tejano Day, Sunday, March 14, 2027, is presented by La Michoacana Meat Market and features the Junction Stage, the Champion Wine Garden and the Mariachi Invitational semifinals in The Hideout.
Alcohol, kids and the ride home
Adults aged 21 and over may drink on board only within the operator’s rules for that vehicle. When a minor is in the group, the vehicle carries no alcohol at all, for anybody. The person who books must be at least 18.
For a family day, bring a jacket for each child, because the ride home comes late after a long day at the carnival.
Rodeo en español
Se habla español. Para Go Tejano Day o cualquier noche del Rodeo, pida su cotización en español y le contestamos en español. Ojo: los Días Internacionales del Rodeo, del 2 al 9 de marzo de 2027, son un programa de hospitalidad para compradores de ganado del extranjero, no una celebración hispana.
Vehicles we can send
Representative vehicle Executive Sedan
Representative vehicle Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Representative vehicle Chevrolet Suburban
Representative vehicle GMC Yukon XL
Representative vehicle Cadillac Escalade
Representative vehicle Lincoln Navigator
Representative vehicle Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
- Group vehicle
Mini Coach
Up to 24 guests.
Quoted by text
- Group vehicle
Coach
Up to 34 guests.
Quoted by text
- Partner vehicle
Party bus
From our partners. Sized to your group.
Price on request
- Partner vehicle
SUV limo
Escalade or Hummer, from our partners.
Price on request
Hourly prices are for any pickup in the Houston area, 3-hour minimum. We confirm the exact vehicle in writing.