HOUSTON — The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is looking to make a big, post-COVID return with a special 90th anniversary celebration, rodeo officials announced Tuesday.
Note: the video in this story about the cancellation of the rodeo’s 2021 season is from a March broadcast
RodeoHouston’s 2020 season was cut short and the 2021 season was canceled entirely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rodeo officials are now planning for a return to normalcy in a big way for next year's rodeo that includes a three-week celebration and a special George Strait concert.
Here's everything you need to know:
George Strait and the rodeo
George Strait debuted at Houston's rodeo nearly four decades ago. Then, he was just a newcomer to the country music scene. Now, he's called "King George" — as he is widely considered the king of country
According to the rodeo, he has 33 platinum or multi-platinum-selling albums, the most in all of country music, and 60 No. 1 singles — the most of any artist of any music genre in history.
"In 1996, Strait was inducted into the RODEOHOUSTON Star Trail of Fame in recognition of his musical contributions to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo," the rodeo stated. "He is one of only nine artists to receive this award since the first entertainer performance in 1942. In 2013, the first four-year Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo George Strait Scholarship was awarded through the Rodeo’s scholarship program in honor of his partnership and friendship with the Rodeo."
2022 Houston rodeo dates
The 2022 rodeo is planned for 21 days from Feb. 28 through March 20. This rodeo season will include an extra day and “a concert-only performance by country music icon George Strait. Strait is set to perform on the final night, marking his 31st RODEOHOUSTON performance.”
Also read: Other RodeoHouston headlines and news
Individual tickets for Strait’s concert-only performance go on sale to the public Thursday, June 24.
“What better way to celebrate the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s 90th anniversary than with a special, concert-only performance by the ‘King of Country’ music himself,” stated rodeo president and CEO Chris Boleman in a press release. “After a couple of particularly challenging years, our thousands of dedicated volunteers simply can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the Rodeo grounds for a Texas-sized celebration of Western heritage that will be well worth the wait.”
More info straight from the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo:
Strait’s full-length evening concert will be held in NRG Stadium on the final night of the 2022 Rodeo. There is no rodeo performance scheduled before the concert, however, all activities on the grounds, including shopping and dining areas, carnival, livestock and horse show competitions, and other exhibits and attractions at NRG Park, will be open to the public on March 20.
Individual tickets for Strait’s concert-only performance go on sale to the public Thursday, June 24. A limit of four tickets per person will be permitted. The remaining 2022 RODEOHOUSTON entertainer lineup will be announced once available.
Strait’s 2022 performance will mark his 31st performance at the Rodeo, since 1983. In 2019, Strait’s concert-only performance with special guests Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen broke the NRG Stadium attendance record with 80,108 fans. The NRG Stadium record is separate from the Paid Rodeo/Concert attendance records, as this was a concert-only performance with additional seats on the floor of the stadium. To date, Strait has entertained more than 1.7 million RODEOHOUSTON fans.