Last year, Cal Poly’s Poly Royal Rodeo was one of the hottest tickets in town, selling out in under 30 minutes, with tickets for one of the nights gone in just 30 seconds.
This year, fans will have a better shot at snagging seats thanks to a big move: the rodeo is returning to Spanos Stadium, which can hold more than triple the number of spectators as recent events.
Since 2019, the rodeo has been held at the Cotton Rosser Rodeo Complex, which caps attendance at around 3,000 people. Despite adding a fourth day in 2025, tickets sold out in minutes year after year.
“It was basically a madhouse online,” said Anna Grace Durham, Cal Poly Rodeo Team Media Manager. “We had thousands and thousands of people all trying to buy the same seat.”
Now, Spanos Stadium, with a capacity north of 12,000, is back in the picture. The three-day event, scheduled for April 9–11, could see more than 36,000 attendees.
General admission sales opened at noon on Wednesday, and in just 15 minutes, nearly 9,000 tickets were sold, not counting the 6,600 student tickets purchased in the 24 hours prior during a discounted presale for students.
By the end of the first hour, roughly 11,400 tickets were spoken for. Within a full day, more than 17,000 were sold.
Local rodeo fans say the extra capacity comes as a relief.
“Last year, all my friends told me it was so much fun, but a lot of people couldn’t go,” said junior Kaiden Campbell. “This year, my friends texted me as soon as tickets dropped, ‘You need to buy it right now if you want to go.’”
Durham explained that the stadium has been unavailable in recent years due to COVID-19 restrictions and renovations.
“In one aspect, we want to create that familiar environment of the rodeo being back in Spanos,” she said. “In the other, we want to make this the biggest and best year yet.”
With huge crowds expected, fans are still encouraged to get tickets early, but the move to Spanos means the Poly Royal Rodeo can welcome more people than ever before.
📅 Event Dates: April 9–11, 2026
📍 Location: Spanos Stadium, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
For tickets, click here.
