Calgary 
The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth begins this Friday.
Credit: Calgary Stampede
The 114th Calgary Stampede Parade is the official kickoff to Alberta’s iconic summer festival and the second-largest Parade in North America after the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California.
Parade Prelude:
After the parade route clears at 7:45 a.m., the Parade Prelude begins around 8 a.m., with 34 acts and more than 1,000 performers stationed at four key locations to energize crowds with music, movement, and entertainment before the main show:
- Performers at 6th Avenue & 5th St SW: Canadian Indonesian Social Club, Chinook Country Line Dancers, Indian Society of Calgary, Malayalee Cultural Association of Calgary (MCAC), MissionsPH Foundation – Team Philippines, Youth Singers of Calgary
- Performers at 9th Ave & 5th St SW: Calgary Stampede Band of Outriders, Calgary Stampeders Hype Team, Cochrane Sings!, Dynasty Cheer Allstars, Keepin it Country Line Dance Club, Marakame Troupe, Remix Baton Club, The Muse Vietnamese Dance Team YYC
- Performers at 6th Ave & 10th St SW: Amor a México Dance Group, Calgary Sinulog Group, DECO Man, Gujarati Mandal of Calgary, Sunny City Swing, The Calico Steppers, Vanshaw Academy of Irish Dance,YYC Princess
- Performers at Centre St & 9th Ave: Adult Recreational Choirs Society, Bathala International, Calgary Fire Department, Calgary Police Service – Youth Services Section, Calgary Stampede Downtown Attractions Square, Dance Committee, Renegade Cheerleading, SkipTime, Tibetan Association of Alberta
The Parade:
Calgary Stampede Parade, which kicks off at 9 a.m. on 9 Ave. S.E. at 3 St. S.E., is approximately 5 kilometres in length and takes almost two hours to pass any one point on the route. In other words, the route is the same length as just over 25 Calgary Towers laid end to end.
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Team Canada Olympians Courtney Sarault and Mikaël Kingsbury will lead the parade as marshals. Andrew Phung, beloved for his energy, wit, and Calgary roots, returns home as Celebrity Judge. The Northeast Calgary native will help judge floats, bands, and equestrian entries.
This year’s parade will feature over 100 entries, 700 horses, 35 floats, nine bands, 30+ horse entries, and 8 mounted colour parties.
Credit: Calgary Stampede
Historically, First Nations have played a prominent role in the Calgary Stampede since 1912 when 1,800 members of Treaty 7 led the Parade at the request of Stampede visionary Guy Weadick.
Calgary Fire Chief Cappy (James) Smart has the most appearances – 35 consecutive Parades – as Parade marshal, followed by Mickey Mouse with three appearances. Minnie Mouse has made two appearances as Parade Marshal.
Following the Parade on Friday, July 3, guests can Parade to Park for free admission between 11 a.m.—1:00 p.m. The main gates are just a short 10-15 minute walk away from the end of the parade route, located at 9 Avenue and 4 Street SE.
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The Parade is organized by a team of passionate volunteers who make up the Calgary Stampede Parade Committee, some of whom have served on the Committee for more than 40 years.
If you are interested in watching the Calgary Stampede Parade, here is what you should know:
Credit: Calgary Stampede
When: Friday, July 3, 2026
8 a.m. – Parade prelude (on-street entertainment) begins.
9 a.m. – Parade begins
Watching from anywhere in the world:
Global Calgary is the 2026 broadcast partner of the parade. Global will be providing an Alberta-wide broadcast on Global Television beginning at 8:45 a.m.; the Global TV App, GlobalNews.ca, the Global News YouTube Channel, and Amazon Prime.
Watching in person:
When: The Parade begins at 9 a.m. on July 3rd, and the Parade Prelude begins at 8 a.m.
Parade Route:
The parade begins on 9 Avenue at 3rd Street SE and runs west to 10 Street SW, then turns north at 9th Avenue and 10th Street SW, turns east at 6th Avenue and 10th Street SW and finishes at 6th Avenue and 4th Street SE.
The entire Parade route will remain closed to traffic until the last entry has left the route (approximately 2 p.m.)
How to watch:
The Calgary Parade is free to watch, and more than 80% of the Parade route along 9th and 6th Avenues is available for free-of-charge seating on a first-come, first-served basis.
Reserved seats are available for a fee.
Arrive as early as possible to get good seats. Remember to take refillable water bottles. Portable water stations will be available along the route.
Calgary Parade committee asks spectators to remember to wear a broad-brimmed hat, stay hydrated with water, wear a minimum SPF 30 sunscreen to protect themselves from heat-related emergencies, and use rain gear instead of umbrellas in case it rains, as umbrellas may block the view of other spectators.
Portable toilets will be available along the route.
Spectators are asked not to cross the Parade route at any time. The Parade operations require five full lanes of traffic: the center three for entries and the outer two lanes for parade operations and emergency vehicle access.
Calgary Transit:
Calgary Transit is the best way for spectators to get downtown to the Parade route, with the most access to downtown Calgary due to rad closures.
CTrain service will run before, during and after the parade.
To reach Stampede grounds after the Parade on July 3:
Route 403 will begin service right after the parade. You can catch 403 shuttle bus at one of these locations:
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- Eastbound 4 Street SW @ 7 Avenue SW
- Eastbound 7 Avenue SW @ 1 Street SW
- Southbound 1 Street SE @ 8 Avenue SE
CTrain service runs 24 hours during the Stampede week (July 2 to July 13), and to reach the grounds, you can take the CTrain to Victoria Park/Stampede or Erlton Stations. Erlton Stampede Station is the closest option for reaching Midway. From downtown, take the Red Line to Somerset-Bridlewood.
Please be aware that Centre Street and City Hall/Bow Valley College Stations become extremely crowded between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
The following routes will be on detour during the parade: Route 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17, 22, 24, 62, 64, 66, 90, 101, 109, 116, 117, 131, 142, 151, 300, MG, 302, MY & MP.
Accessible Viewing Zones:
The eight accessible viewing zones will be reserved for people with mobility challenges until 8 a.m. Accessible viewing zones will be located on 6 Avenue and 9 Avenue at:
- 6 Ave: 1 St S.E., 2 St S.W., 6 St S.W. and 9 St S.W.
- 9 Ave: Centre St, 2 St S.W., 6 St S.W. and 9 St S.W.
Calgary Transit Access will provide drop-off and pick-up services near the designated accessible viewing zones at 801 – 6 Street S.W., and 855 – 2 Street S.W. Drop-offs will be between 6:40 a.m. and 7 a.m. The first pick-up will be at 12:30 p.m.
See here to plan your trip using Calgary Transit:
Parking & Parking lot closures:
The Parade Day parking restrictions will be in effect from 12 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3. The streets will be clearly marked as no-parking zones, and enforcement will be strict in these areas while the parking restrictions are in effect.
On-street ParkPlus zones along the parade route will not be accessible during the parade, but will be in effect once roads reopen.
Avoid parking in East Village, where restrictions begin the day before the parade, as well as parkades, lots, and on-street ParkPlus zones along the parade route. Choose alternate parking outside the area to avoid closures, delays, or towing.
Parking Lot Closures:
The following Calgary Parking Authority lots will be closed until the streets have been fully swept and the roads re-open at 2 p.m.:
Thursday, July 2, from 1 a.m. until Friday, July 3, at 2 p.m.
East Village will become a no-parking zone beginning at 12 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, except for those associated with the Stampede Parade.
- Lot 55 (East Village) – 724 4 St S.E.
Friday, July 3 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Lot 74 (East Village) – 656 Confluence Way S.E.
- Riverwalk Parkade – 620 6 Ave S.E.
Friday, July 3 from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Lot 7 – 208 9 Ave S.W.
- Werklund Centre Parkade (Lot 24) – 829 Macleod Tr S.E.
- City Centre Parkade (Lot 25) – 340 10 Ave S.W.9 Ave S.E. access closed for the parade; access via 10 Ave S.E. remains available
- City Hall Parkade (Lot 36) – 322 9 Ave S.E.
- Centennial Parkade (Lot 54) – 608 9 Ave S.W. / 823 5 St S.W.
- Convention Centre Parkade (Lot 60) – 727 1 St S.E.
- Platform Parkade (Lot 62) – 399 9 Ave S.E.
- Lot 87 – 310 6 Ave S.W.
- The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland – 750 9 Avenue S.E.
On-street ParkPlus zones along the parade route will not be accessible during the parade but will be in effect once roads re-open.
Parking:
Calgary Parking Authority parking lots not mentioned above will be available for parking at any time on Parade Day. These include
Summer promo rates, including $12 and $15 parking, are also available at select facilities across Calgary. You can download MyParking app to receive the parking discount.
Stampede Taxi and Uber Zones:
Taxi Zone (24 hours):
- 14 Ave S.E. east of 5 St S.E.
- South side of Stampede Park, north of 25 Ave S.E.
Taxi zones (8 p.m. to 5 a.m.)
- 12 Ave S.W. between 1 & 3 Street S.E.
Rideshares – Uber/Lyft (24 hours):
- 14 Ave S.W. between Stampede Tr & 5 St S.W.
- South side of Stampede Park, north of 25 Ave S.E.
Rideshares – Uber/Lyft (8 p.m. to 5 a.m.):
- 10 Ave S.E. between 1 St & Olympic Way S.E.
- 1 Street S.E. between 10 & 12 Ave S.E.
Road Closures & Parking Restrictions:
All roads intersecting with the parade route, both in and out of downtown, will begin closing at 6:00 a.m. with full closures at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3rd. They will reopen only when they have been cleaned by the Street Sweeper and given the “all clear” by the Calgary Police Service (approximately 2 p.m.).
Vehicle access to East Village will close at 6 a.m. on Friday, July 3, and remain closed until the parade concludes and roads reopen.
Road closures, beginning at 6 a.m. (roads closed for parade set-up) Friday, July 3:
- 6 St S.E. between 7 & 9 Ave S.E.
- 5 St S.E. between 7 & 9 Ave S.E.
- 6 Ave S.E. between 3 & 5 St S.E.
- 7 Ave S.E. between 4 & 6 St S.E.
- 8 Ave S.E. between 4 & 6 St S.E.
Road closures, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Friday, July 3:
- 9 Ave S.E. between 8 & 3 St S.E.
- 4 St S.E. between 6 & 9 Ave S.E.
- 3 St S.E. between 4 & 9 Ave S.E.
- Westbound 6 Ave from 3 St S.E. to 11 St S.W.
- 10 St S.W. from 6 to 9 Ave S.W.
- Eastbound 9 Ave from 11 St S.W. to 3 St S.E.
The morning connector from Bow Trail to westbound 5 Avenue S.W. will only be open from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.
Restricted Access to West Ramsay: From Tuesday, June 30 to Monday, July 13, access into West Ramsay will be closed at six intersections, including Maggie Street, 11 Avenue, 17 Avenue, Margaret Avenue, Constance Avenue, and 6 Street connections. Residents west of the closures can still reach homes through two vehicle access points: Bellevue Avenue at MacDonald Avenue S.E. and Burns Avenue at Spiller Road S.E.
Alternate routes into downtown
- The west: Use 5 Ave or 12 Ave to bypass closures
- The east: Avoid East Village and follow detours to 11 St S.W.
- The north or south: Use major routes such as Deerfoot Tr, Crowchild Tr, Blackfoot Tr or 16 Ave.
Calgary traffic report and road closures
Fun Fact: Approximately 2 tons of manure will be deposited on the Parade route. Since 2001, the City of Calgary’s “Street Sweeper Critters” – Chestnut the Horse, Barlow the Buffalo, Outlaw the Bull, and Daisy the Cow – have been responsible for clearing the Parade route.
Where will porta-potty units be available along the parade route?
The press release says it will be available along the parade route. Specific locations are not mentioned.
What time will the c/train start running from the Dalhousie station, after the parade is over.?
It is not specifically mentioned in any of the press releases. It might start after road closures end at 3:00 p.m.