National Finals Rodeo Returns to Las Vegas for 40th Year

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is back in Las Vegas for its 40th year, offering a major boost to the local economy amid a tourism slowdown. This year’s event is expected to generate an estimated $200 million in economic impact.

Ryan Growney, general manager at South Point, noted the transformation that NFR has brought to Las Vegas every December. “People don’t remember 40 years ago in December; it was dead in Las Vegas. The rodeo comes, and all of a sudden, look what it did for December in general,” he said.

The event will host over 150,000 fans at the Thomas and Mack Center, along with multiple activities at South Point Arena, including the National Finals Breakaway Roping Championship. Darcie Wiltse, owner of Blaze and Bling, remarked, “NFR has been our biggest show of the year. If I could do four of these shows, I wouldn’t have to work so hard the rest of the year.”

Steve Kenyon, a rodeo announcer for the Cowboy Channel, emphasized Las Vegas’ importance to the NFR, calling it a “symbiotic relationship.” Despite concerns about a potential economic slowdown, Wiltse expects that 60% of her annual business will happen during the rodeo.

Growney also mentioned that his 3,100 employees at South Point will be working continuously during the event, leading to significant overtime for many.