2025 Calgary Stampede galloping towards all-time attendance record

Cheryl Crowchief talks about the Stampede Powwow at the 2025 Calgary Stampede.

The 2025 Calgary Stampede is closing in on all-time attendance record.

On Friday, 128, 304 people passed through the gates. That brought the total for this year’s event to 1, 197, 610, or a little more than 280,000 short of the all-time record of 1.477, 953 set last year.

Earlier this week, some Stampede goers expressed concern about overcrowding at the Coca-Cola stage on Tuesday night, when rapper Don Toliver performed.

Calgary police put out messages ahead of Toliver’s concert that they had teams ready for the expected large crowd.

Emergency crews did as well.

Private operator Aaron Paramedical had an extra eight to 10 staff on that night.

Tuesday was the same night that three people were stabbed on the midway.

Police say the attack was between two groups of people who knew each other.

The Stampede said 193,000 people attended Stampede on Tuesday.

Saturday at the Stampede features the Stampede Powwow, which highlights the diversity of First Nations dancing, singing and drumming at the Saddledome.

There’s also plenty of live country music at Nashville North, including performances by Mariya Stokes, Chayce Beckham, Tristan Horncastle and Drew Gregory.

The Coca-Cola Stage is featuring performances by a number of artists, including Lovra, Hayla, Duke Dumont and Alesso, while at the Big Four Roadhouse, Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine, performs at 10 p.m.

The Stampede ends Sunday.

With files from CTV’s Alesia Fieldberg