This year marks the 35th edition of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Get ready for 10 days of championship rodeo, epic holiday shopping, and world-class entertainment. The Wrangler NFR action culminates each evening from December 5–14 at the Thomas & Mack Center, but there is so much beyond the rodeo arena that will keep visitors busy and happy.
Plan your days and nights with this guide.
Check out the latest from Wrangler.
DAYTIME RODEO
MISS RODEO AMERICA: The schedule for the Western world’s ultimate annual pageant kicks off Sunday, December 1, with official introductions to the contestants at the Tropicana Las Vegas. It all ends with the Coronation Performance on Sunday, December 8, when current Miss Rodeo America Taylor McNair crowns the new winner. Don’t miss it, live and free on the Wrangler Network.
ALL IN BARREL RACE and BREAKAWAY: Big payouts bring some of the greatest athletes in barrel racing and breakaway roping to the Orleans Hotel and Casino’s rodeo arena for free-to-attend competitions that are open to the public.
BULLFIGHTERS ONLY LAS VEGAS CHAMPIONSHIP: The Tropicana’s Bullfighters Only Event Tent plays host to this freestyle bullfighting showdown every afternoon from December 5–14 at 2 p.m. Each day’s action will be live-streamed on the Wrangler Network.
WRANGLER AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS: There are plenty of opportunities to get closer to and meet your favorite rodeo stars during The Wrangler NFR. There are contestant autograph sessions at different locations including Cowboy Christmas, MGM Grand, and Golden Nugget. Check the schedule here.
STAY HERE
The Wrangler NFR sponsors along the Las Vegas Strip and beyond offer special packages and experiences for fans:
Bally’s, Ceasars Palace, Cosmopolitan, The D Las Vegas, Downtown Grand, Flamingo, Gold Coast, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Mirage, New York New York, Orleans, Planet Hollywood, Plaza, Sam’s Town, Silverton, South Point, Treasure Island, Tropicana, Westgate Las Vegas
FUN FACT: When The Wrangler NFR first arrived in Las Vegas in 1985, the city boasted 53,000 hotel rooms and attracted a little more than 14 million visitors. Las Vegas currently has more than 150,000 hotel rooms and attracted 42.9 million visitors in 2018.
SHOPPING & EXPERIENCES
COWBOY CHRISTMAS: It’s The Wrangler NFR’s official gift show and fan experience in Las Vegas. You might want to plan to stop in for multiple days, because there are around 350 exhibitor booths to shop and experience, live rodeo events, music and entertainment, and plenty of food and beverages. It’s the best of what the Western industry has to offer, all inside the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Halls. Cowboy Christmas is free and open to the public 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily December 5–14.
WRANGLER RODEO ARENA: There are rodeo events going on every day inside Cowboy Christmas, and it’s a spotlight for the future of the sport. Cheer on more than 850 young athletes as they compete in nine events at the Junior World Finals presented by YETI. Competitions are daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and admission is only $5.
RODEO LIVE STAGE: Presented by RODEOHOUSTON, this is your stop inside Cowboy Christmas to catch some live music or one of the daily talk shows featuring entertainers and rodeo figures. RFD-TV’s Western Sports Roundup kicks off the schedule daily at 9:15 a.m., followed by Flint Rasmussen’s “Outside the Barrel” at noon and “Keepin’ it Country” with host Andy Griggs at 1:15 p.m. There’s also an NFR Central area featuring acoustic musical performances and autograph sessions.
GREAT WALL OF RODEO: Calgary Stampede brings to The Wrangler NFR this large-scale backdrop featuring all The Wrangler NFR contestants along with other interactive elements. And don’t miss the interactive exhibits in Rodeo Way, adjacent to the live stage on the east end of Cowboy Christmas.
BITES & BREWS: You’ll get hungry and thirsty while you shop the best of the West, so it’s a good thing Total Feeds is bringing the eating and drinking options to the show. And then there’s the Coors Rodeo Saloon, with even more food vendors and large video screens replaying the previous night’s NFR highlights.
COME SEE C&I: That’s right, folks, Cowboys & Indians has its own booth near the entrance of Cowboy Christmas. Look for our logo and our magazine covers. We’ll be there to chat, to offer fun information about our nightly NFR parties, and we’ll have plenty of C&I merch and gift subscriptions available for the diehards in your life.
BRAND SHOWCASE: Be sure to seek out these and other Western-lifestyle vendors at Cowboy Christmas:
Alina Jewels, American Hat Company, Bohlin, Brit West, Bloomer Trailers, Boot Barn, Canty Boots, Cavenders, Chucks Woodbarn, Clint Orms, Cowboy Images, Cowboy Living, Fenoglio Boot Co., HYO Silver, The Jewelry Lady Red River, Kim Klass Jewelry, Kiva Lighting, Lucchese, Montana Silversmiths, New World Trading, Resistol, Rhonda Stark, Rocketbuster Boots, Rocki Gorman, Rockin’ P Ranch, Rockwell Tharp, Samsville Gallery, The Sparkling Spur, Steel Strike, Terra Leather, Tim Joyner Art, Vintage Boho Bags, Vogt Silversmiths
TUNES & HEADLINERS
WRANGLER NFR ACTION: The official rodeo events and performances run from 6:45 p.m.–9 p.m. each evening December 5–14 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Some of the nights carry themes, such as “Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night” December 9 and “National Patriot Night” December 14. Up-to-the minute live scoring, highlights, and athlete interviews will be available on the Wrangler Network and its social media.
STARS ON STAGE: Find the complete concert and after-party listings online, and check out some highlights below:
JASON ALDEAN will perform his dirt-road anthems at MGM’s Park Theater December 6,7, and 8.
REBA and BROOKS & DUNN will team up once again for shows at Caesars’ Colosseum December 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 13.
GEORGE STRAIT continues to be NFR’s hottest ticket with just two shows on December 6 and 7 at the T-Mobile Arena.
SHANIA TWAIN brings her pop-country greatness to Planet Hollywood’s Zappos Theater December 6, 7, 11, 13, and 14.
AARON WATSON gives the NFR crowds a taste of Texas at the South Point Showroom every night from December 5–8.
AFTER-HOURS STOPS: Nightly highlights include South Point’s Ram Rodeo Tailgate Party in its convention center and buckle presentations in the showroom, the Orleans’ Rump’s Rodeo Party hosted by Justin Rumford and National Finals Tonight Show in the Honky Tonk Saloon, Mirage’s Rodeo Vegas 2019, Treasure Island’s parties in Gilley’s Saloon, and the Gold Buckle Zone activities at MGM Grand.
PARTY WITH C&I: Cowboys & Indians magazine returns to The Wrangler NFR with its own nightly viewing and after-parties hosted by Justin Frazell at the Silverton Casino & Hotel. It’s the best and most comfortable seat in town—and it’s free. Each night there will be live NFR rodeo viewing on the big screen (presented by 102.7 The Coyote), followed by live music onstage, with drink and food specials throughout. Here’s who is on tap to perform:
December 5 and 6: Ned LeDoux
December 7: Chris Heers
December 8: Holly Tucker, Chris Heers
December 9: Holly Tucker, Chase & the Pursuit
December 10 and 11: Lainey Wilson
December 12: C&I’s annual Best of the West Ball featuring Randy Brown and Roger Creager
December 13: Randy Brown
December 14: Voodoo Cowboys
For more information and dig deeper into any of these fabulous events, bookmark NFRexperience.com.
