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The 2025 Calgary Stampede Roundup
The Calgary Stampede, also known as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, is in its 113th year and still going strong. From the rodeo and midway, all the way to the concerts it’s fun for the entire family every July.
Michaela Neuman, our photographer and reviewer for Calgary at Hidden Beats, was there to cover a variety of the live music that the Calgary Stampede brought to the Big Four Stage and the infamous Coca-Cola Stage on Stampede grounds.
Lights
Lights is a Canadian favourite, hailing from Timmons, Ontario, who has been carving a path for herself since her debut album “The Listening” released in 2009. She performed for a massive crowd at this years Calgary Stampede on the outdoor, family friendly Coca-Cola Stage.
The show that Lights put on was phenomenal, and full of atmospheric energy that proved her star power isn’t burning out anytime soon. She played songs of “The Listening” and songs from her new album “A6”. The crowd absolutely loved Lights, and she loved them right back, interacting with the crowd as they sang along to all of her songs.
Arkells
Arkells has been a Canadian favourite since they burst onto the scene with their debut album “Jackson Square” in 2008 which gave them a huge following almost instantaneously. Calgary loves Arkells, and they come here often. However, Arkells haven’t been on the Coca-Cola Stage for 10 years, and they made quite a triumphant return this year.
Arkells frontman, Max Kerman, is known for his high energy and interactivity with the audience while performing, and this show proved to be no different. Kerman even noted that for the band their show is the audience, and they all tend to build up from the energy that an audience gives. The crowd was singing along, dancing, and cheering the whole time. Arkells closed out the night alongside the beautiful fireworks from the Grandstand Show, making it a night to remember for all who went.
Brandi Cyrus
Brandi Cyrus took over the Coca-Cola Stage in style this year, donning a beautiful cowboy hat and Western wear, catching herself very on theme for the fashion at The Calgary Stampede. Cyrus has music in her blood and hails from one of the music capitals of the world Nashville, USA.
Her unique DJ set combined an eclectic range of music, spanning from pop & rap, all the way to country. She played remixes of songs by her sister, Miley Cyrus, her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, Gotye, Gracie Abrams, Taylor Swift, Shaboozey, Carrie Underwood and the Queen of Country Music, Shania Twain. Throughout her set, Cyrus interacted with the audience in a unique way, coming up from behind the DJ booth to wave at fans and dance along with them. At one point in her set the music cut out, and Cyrus mentioned that one of her decks was broken, then quipping “At least you guys know I’m really DJ’ing up here — you can’t fake it if you fuck it up,” something the audience loved to hear. Cyrus lured the audience into her gravitational pull with entrancing remixes and undeniable stage presence. Calgarians can’t wait to see her again.
Diplo Presents: Thomas Wesley
Diplo, performing under the monkier Thomas Wesley, made his Calgary Stampede debut at the Coca-Cola Stage this year. Though he’s been to Calgary before to perform at Badlands and Loud Luxury, the American born DJ has never done a show at the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. The environment was fitting for his set, high energy and love all around.
During his set, Diplo let the audience know how much he loves Calgary, and how thrilled he was to be at the Calgary Stampede while donning a beautiful blue casual suit, and the quintessential white cowboy hat that has become a symbol of The Calgary Stampede. Diplo’s set was a crowd pleaser, and how could it not be? He’s one of the biggest DJ’s in the world, and the crowd that came to watch him reflected that. With his set clocking in at over an hour long, he made sure that the audience got what they came for with him creating his own version of Tomorrowland on the Stampede Grounds.
Tinashe
Tinashe made her grand Calgary debut at The Calgary Stampede and it was one to remember. The multi-talented singer came out to a crowd of screaming fans, some of whom had been waiting since noon just to be able to see her perform live. She interacted with those dedicated fans, signing posters and merchandise for those at the front of the barricade.
It’s incredibly evident that Tinashe cares about her fans and their experience, her set completely was a crowd pleaser, including a cover of KAYTRANADA’s song “The Worst in Me”, and her viral song “Nasty”. She had 4 backup dancers with her, and really made use of the space she had on stage, making sure that every fan was able to get that up close and personal angle no matter where they were in the crowd.
Don Toliver
The anticipation for Don Toliver was palpable on the Stampede grounds, with an estimated 20,000 people in the audience who had come out to see the multi-award winning rapper and singer. The energy was so high that 3 minutes after his set was supposed to start there was a roar from the audience that turned into a “we want Don” chant that could be heard all over the grounds. The audience was excited, and Don Toliver certainly matched their energy when he burst onto the stage.
Don Toliver had a set that was out of this world, and he carried that momentum all the way through his set, ensuring that his fans got all that they bargained for. The crowd almost acted like an ocean, with waves of hands flying in the air and people jumping up and down along to the rapper’s set. Don Toliver also included a very special debut of a Jackboy’s 2 song, “2000 EXCURSION”. It was unexpected and the crowd went insane as soon at that first beat dropped. Calgary certainly won’t forget the absolute force that this show was for a long time.
Aminé
Aminé is a force to be reckoned with, and has energy for days. His set was high fueled and the crowd showed up to see him play the Coca-Cola Stage for the first time. Shockingly, he even got the crowd to cheer for our rival city, Edmonton, AB, something that is not easy to accomplish whatsoever.
He played some of his biggest hits, including REDMERCEDES, Arc de Triomphe, Spice Girl, and of course, Caroline. The crowd was absolutely feeling it as they sang and danced along, matching his energy the whole way through.
Khalid
Calgary has been waiting a long time for Khalid to grace the stage, and having him as a headliner at the Coca-Cola Stage acted as a love letter to Calgarians who have been fans of the singer since his album “American Teen” released in 2017. Early on in the show Khalid asked the audience who had been a fan since the album came out and the crowd went crazy, showing him that he has longtime fans out here.
Khalid’s set was beautiful, he came up on stage with 4 dancers that accompanied his music stunningly. Despite some issues with his microphone, Khalid gave an absolutely show stopping performance, not letting the audio issues dampen what was an amazing show filled with him interacting with fans and songs such as lovely, Young Dumb & Broke, Another Sad Love Song, and 8TEEN. Calgary showed up for Khalid with a massive crowd at an estimated 20,000, and he showed up for them too.
Lil Jon
Lil Jon absolutely lit up the Big Four Stage from the second he stepped on stage, performing his & LMFAO’s smash hit SHOTS. You could tell immediately that this show was going to be one for the books, especially with Lil Jon’s never-ending energy on stage. With his career having spanned over two decades there was no shortage of smash hits that he could perform for the very eager audience.
For an artist that’s known for helping popularizing the word “crunk” you can expect nothing but greatness at his live shows, and that’s exactly what he delivered to Calgary. His performance included both him performing to the audience and also getting behind a DJ booth to spin nostalgic and popular hits that were absolute crowd pleasers. Lil Jon blew the roof off of The Big Four, and everyone was having the time of their lives.
Del Water Gap
Del Water Gap, the solo project of artist and producer S. Holden Jaffe, has been on the rise to super stardom since his 2020 release of the song “Ode to a Conversation Stuck In Your Throat”. His Calgary fans stood by the stage for hours, waiting in anticipation for him to light up the Coca-Cola Stage.
His set was one to remember, filled with high energy, audience interaction, and people in the crowd singing along at the top of their lungs while he performed. One moment that took the audience by storm was when he climbed up the side of the stage ladder that holds the structure together, waving down at the crowd from the very top as they cheered for him. Near the end of his set he announced that he will be releasing his next album in the Fall, saying that it will be his most personal and honest project yet. Del Water Gap is incredibly gifted with his ability to perform live, with a voice similar to silk and lyrics that resonate with fans in the deepest corners of their hearts.
Bleachers
Bleachers was one of the most anticipated shows at The Calgary Stampede this year, and that is no doubt due to the rise to superstardom that frontman Jack Antonoff has experienced over the last few years, working alongside artists such as Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and The 1975. Bleachers, founded by Antonoff, has such an incredibly unique sound that it cannot be mistaken for anyone else.
Bleachers has carved a unique space for itself within the world, with songs that combine jazzy melodies laced with heavy subject matter that still sound like a party, and there was no shortage of that energy on stage. The band had two saxophone players accompany them for their debut Calgary show, making the set a full blown celebration of Bleachers discography. Not only was the sound a gift to the ears, but it was a present for the eyes as well featuring a unique stage design complete with checkered floors, and stairs that heightened the performers. At one point a fan requested that they play their song with Lana Del Rey titled “Margaret”, an ode to Antonoff’s wife Margaret Qualley. Antonoff had to take a minute to remember the chords of the song, gathering with his band members near the back of the stage, creating a moment that felt so quiet and so intimate in front of so many people. Bleachers of course played their chart topping hit “I Wanna Get Better”, which was laced with ad-libs of Calgary, and the crowd went absolutely crazy. Their set closed alongside the fireworks from the Grandstand Show, and left Antonoff in awe, saying “how lucky are we?” while the fireworks splashed in the sky. The audience was truly lucky to witness such a phenomenal show, one that won’t be ever be forgotten.
Boys Like Girls
Though Boys Like Girls has been popular in the music scene since the early to mid 2000’s they’ve been experiencing somewhat of a renaissance as of late. Most recently they’ve released the album “SUNDAY AT FOXWOODS”, catapulting them back into the mainstream.
Some artists tend to not perform their earlier music, especially when their careers have spanned for over a decade, but Boys Like Girls is not one of those acts. In fact, they lean into the nostalgia that their older music provides, understanding that audiences still love the classics alongside their newly released sounds. Though they hadn’t released an album in almost 10 years, Boys Like Girls still have their fans in a chokehold, and that was evident by how many people showed up to see their show. The energy that the audience provided was matched by each member of the band, and launched the show into the stratosphere. Their show was one of the best that was at The Big Four this year, and Calgarians will be waiting ever so patiently for their return to the city.
Charlotte Cardin
Canadian singer Charlotte Cardin took to the Coca-Cola Stage with an immense level of grace and talent. The multi-award winning Cardin is such a unique artist, and almost has an effortless way about her — combining her raspy yet silky smooth vocals with melodies that transcend into perfection with every note.
Cardin noted that she was so excited to be at the Calgary Stampede, mentioning that it’s something she has always wanted to do. It’s evident she has a bevy of fans within Calgary, and they absolutely showed up for her in full force, she drew a huge crowd to the Coca-Cola Stage that knew all of her songs by heart. Seeing both the audience and artist build off each other’s energies is such a special thing, and that was happening in full force during her performance. Cardin’s vocals were beyond amazing, almost reaching a level of perfection that isn’t frequently done. Her set was one of the most enjoyable ones that I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing this year, I know that myself and so many others can’t wait for her to make a return to Calgary.
Yung Gravy
Yung Gravy’s show at the Big Four Stage was one of the most highly anticipated sets of The Calgary Stampede this year. Yung Gravy has been on a meteoric rise within the past few years, and has been hustling in the music scene since 2016. He’s getting his flowers and it was incredibly evident by the excitement of the crowd who had come out to see him.
The energy was palpable, as soon as his showtime hit the crowd started chanting “Gravy! Gravy! Gravy!” so loudly that you could feel the room shake. His DJ, Tiiiiiiiiiip, was there to hype the crowd up even more, entertaining them and playing a selection of tracks that got the crowded Big Four’s energy to the maximum levels in anticipation for Yung Gravy to grace the stage. Once he stepped out, the crowd went absolutely insane, a testament to how popular Yung Gravy has become. Not only is Yung Gravy incredibly talented, but his performance was perfect, laced with interactions with the audience and him saying that the Calgary food scene was one of the best out there (as a Calgarian I am inclined to agree). Despite the unserious nature of the show, it’s obvious that Yung Gravy takes his music and performances incredibly seriously, giving every single person in the crowd what they came for: a phenomenal show from a phenomenal artist who’s star power is only going to continue to rise.
No signs of slowing down
The Calgary Stampede seemingly outdoes themselves every year with musical acts and the fanfare of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Plus, they have something for everyone, whether you’re into R&B, pop, rock, rap, indie, or of course country music there’s sure to be an act you’ll love performing.
We absolutely can’t wait to see what The Calgary Stampede has lined up for next year, it’s sure to blow everyone away just like this years lineup did!
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