Ariat Rodeo Live Stage at Cowboy Christmas Offers Daily Entertainment; Two New Shows in 2026

From Dec. 3 - 12 at Cowboy Christmas presented by Texas Precious Metals, the Ariat Rodeo Live Stage will bring live talk show style entertainment to rodeo fans. Free to the public, Cowboy Christmas is open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (PT) daily at the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall and features more than 350 exhibitors and additional interactive elements for rodeo fans.

Each day, the Ariat Rodeo Live Stage, located again this year on Level 2 of the South Hall (East End), will feature the following (all times PT and subject to change):

Acoustic Hour presented by Levi’s – starting at 10 a.m.
Conserving Country with hosts Shane Minor and Garrison Allen – starting at 11 a.m.
Hobart presents Mic Drop with Matt Merritt – starting at noon
Storme Session presented by American Hat Company – starting at 1 p.m.
Variety Show – starting at 2 p.m. 

Each day kicks off with the new Acoustic Hour, followed by the return of the live-music and variety show Conserving Country with host Shane Minor, joined again by Garrison Allen. Popular personality, rodeo clown and barrelman Matt Merritt follows at noon with his all-new show, Mic Drop. Experienced radio broadcaster and personality Storme Warren will bring his unique talents to Cowboy Christmas again in 2026, starting at 1 p.m. with Storme Session. Another new element – Variety Show – will culminate the daily schedule.

To add to the overall experience, RMEF’s Hunter & Outdoor Christmas Expo will be co-located upstairs in the South Hall with Cowboy Christmas presented by Texas Precious Metals. Over the past 39 years, Cowboy Christmas has attracted more than 6.23 million attendees.

In addition to the Ariat Rodeo Live Stage, Cowboy Christmas presented by Texas Precious Metals will include the following main anchor displays and programming elements:

Wrangler Rodeo Arena – As the home of the YETI Junior National Finals Rodeo, the Wrangler Rodeo Arena will be located in a large, tented area across University Center Drive from the Las Vegas Convention Center in the Platinum Lot. With a seating capacity of more than 900 fans, the arena will host the YETI Junior NFR, featuring contestants 19-years-old and younger competing in many of the events the pros take part in at the Thomas & Mack Center. The events include bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, girls and boys breakaway, team roping, tie-down roping, pole bending and barrel racing.

Cinch Cowboy Commons – Where Friends Gather – Returning in 2026, this area – located in the east lobby of South Hall, Level 1 – offers a variety of options. Attendees can enjoy Tito’s Rodeo Saloon, NFR merchandise booths and the Cinch Stage that features all-day programming, including the No Spin Rodeo Live and RumpChat Podcasts.

Cowboy Christmas Village – This festive area, located on Level 2 of the South Hall, will include a candy-cane wall, snow globes, photo ops, daily appearances by Santa Claus from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and more.

Bites and Brews – Located on Level 2, Bites & Brews features a variety of custom food and beverage carts. There’s something for every appetite. 

Cowboy Christmas presented by Texas Precious Metals is the only official gift show of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Sold out for 389 consecutive performances in Las Vegas, the Wrangler NFR attracts the top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding. Under the contract with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association that runs through 2035, the purse in 2026 is more than $14.2 million. Qualification is based on the 2026 PRCA World Standings.

For more information on the Wrangler NFR in Las Vegas and Cowboy Christmas, please visit NFRexperience.com or through social media at /LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR. For the latest Pro Rodeo news and Wrangler NFR coverage, please visit prorodeo.com or through social media at @PRCA_ProRodeo.