What Cheyenne Frontier Days Is
Cheyenne Frontier Days, billed as "The Daddy of 'em All," is a ten-day Western festival built around a PRCA rodeo. The first Frontier Days was held in 1897 as a cowboy roundup with bronco busting, steer roping and pony races. It has grown into what organizers call the world's largest outdoor rodeo, with more than $1 million in cash and prizes. The 2026 edition was the 130th, and the 2027 run is set for July 23 to August 1, 2027.
What You Can Do There
| Attraction | What to know (2026 edition) |
|---|---|
| PRCA rodeo | Ten straight performances in 2026, the first year with ten. Daily tickets ran $26 to $53, with $3 off for early buyers. |
| PRCA Xtreme Bulls | Two nights featuring the top 40 PRCA bull riders. Tickets ran $25 to $95. Prize money counts toward the PRCA bull riding standings that decide Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers. |
| Frontier Nights concerts | Rock and country concerts each night. Acts are announced in December before the festival and tickets are sold online and at the ticket office. |
| Parades | Downtown parades at 9 a.m. on both Saturdays, plus Tuesday and Thursday. The route starts at the Capitol and lasts about 90 minutes. |
| Free pancake breakfasts | Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 7 to 9 a.m. Volunteers serve over 100,000 pancakes a year. |
| Morning Star American Indian Village | History and culture of the Plains Indians, with Northern Arapahoe and Eastern Shoshone central to the experience. More than 55,000 people visited in 2026. |
| Carnival | Armbands were $45 for one session or $155 for all ten days in 2026. Midway admission was a separate $5. |
| Chute 9 VIP seating | New in 2026: tables and stadium-style seating at $125 to $150 a seat. |
How a Visit Works
Tickets
For 2026, rodeo, Xtreme Bulls, Chute 9, carnival and chuckwagon tickets went on sale in early December on cfdrodeo.com, with concert tickets released online a week later and the ticket office reopening for in-person concert sales the day after. Expect the same pattern for 2027. The ticket office phone is (307) 778-7222.
Free and discounted days
Military Monday offered free admission to active-duty service members and veterans. Cheyenne Day, the Wednesday of the festival, features local events and deals, and Laramie County residents paid $5 less for carnival armbands that day. Behind the Chutes Tours were free in 2026.
Other things to see
- Cheyenne Gunslingers gunfight re-enactments, free, at noon and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at noon Sunday.
- Frontier Town, open daily in Frontier Park.
- The Old Fashioned Melodrama at the Atlas Theater, 211 West Lincolnway, at 7 and 9 p.m. on festival nights.
- Fort D.A. Russell Days, a free open house at F.E. Warren Air Force Base on the first weekend.
Key Dates
- 2027 festival: July 23 to August 1, 2027.
- 2026 festival (most recent): July 17 to 26, 2026.
- Concert lineup: announced in December.
- Rodeo and carnival tickets: on sale in early December.
Where and Getting There
The rodeo and festival grounds are at Frontier Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The carnival midway sits at Eighth and Dey Avenues, and Frontier Town is at Carey and Eighth Avenues. Neighborhood parking fills quickly, up to eight blocks south and ten blocks east of the entrance, and illegal parking can be towed, so check the parking and shuttle options on the Visit Cheyenne page below.
2026 by the Numbers
Total attendance was 283,138, up from 249,587 in 2025. The rodeo drew 113,787 across ten performances and Frontier Nights drew 109,861. Prize money topped $1.1 million for more than 800 contestants. Three free pancake breakfasts served 17,559 people.
Questions
Is it only a rodeo?
No. Parades, free breakfasts, concerts, the Indian Village, gunfights, a carnival and an air force base open house all run alongside the rodeo.
Is anything free?
Yes: the pancake breakfasts, parades, gunslinger shows, Behind the Chutes Tours and Fort D.A. Russell Days were free in 2026.
When do I buy?
Tickets go on sale the December before the festival, and the best seats go first.
Who do I call?
The CFD ticket office at (307) 778-7222, or Visit Cheyenne at 800-426-5009.
Official Links
- Cheyenne Frontier Days key dates
- 2026 season recap
- 2026 season launch: tickets and prices
- Visit Cheyenne: Frontier Days guide
- 2026 concert announcement
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- Cheyenne Livestock Exposition
Two-week fall livestock exposition in Cheyenne at the Event Center at Archer.
Cheyenne, WY Official event details - Laramie County Fair
Wyoming's largest county fair, with livestock shows, rodeos, midway, ag exhibits and contests at the Event Center at Archer.
- Laramie County Fair Ranch Rodeo
Ranch rodeo held on the second Sunday of the fair, alongside the new Salsa Showdown.
Cheyenne, WY | Organizer: Laramie County Events Official event details - Laramie County Fair Pie Contests
Pie contests are scheduled on the third day of Laramie County Fair week at the Event Center at Archer in Cheyenne.
Cheyenne, WY Official event details - Laramie County Fair Mutton Bustin
Mutton Bustin' day during Laramie County Fair week, where young riders hang on to sheep at the Event Center at Archer in Cheyenne.
Cheyenne, WY Official event details
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.