Rodeo Hikes Ticket Prices

Houston Rodeo hikes ticket prices for most expensive seats while cheapest stay the same

The first ticket price increases since 2011 will go into effect at the 2017 Rodeo.

For the first time since 2011, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is raising ticket prices, with the greatest increase at the most expensive levels.

The price for the priciest seats at NRG Stadium — Row 1 at the Chutes — has been hiked to $350 from $300, while the cost for sitting in Rows 2, 3, and 4 at Chutes level is jumping to $300 from $200. Action Seats will rise to $100 from $86, while the Chairman's Club will remain at $100 each.

Other price changes include relatively modest increases at Loge Level ($25 from $21), Field Side ($30 from $25), Field End ($30 from $24), Club Level III End Zones ($35 from $30), Club I North End Sideline ($40 from $36) and Club Level II South End Sideline ($40 from $33.)

Upper Level seats will stay at $18, SRO tickets will remain at $16, and Value Wednesday admission at the Upper Level will remain at $10.

Rodeo officials says tickets are still well below averages for comparable concert and sporting events in Houston and around the nation.

Since the last price increase, improvements have been made in lighting, video, sound systems and the entertainer stage, video boards have been enlarged, more educational exhibits have been added and scholarships have been increased, according to Rodeo officials. They say the ticker price hike will lead to further improvements and additional educational programs.

On Wednesday, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo awarded $7.5 million in scholarships to more than 400 students from the Houston area in the second of five spring/summer scholarship ceremonies. The scholarships represent a portion of the organization’s annual educational commitment of nearly $26 million.

The new ticket prices go into effect for the 2017 Rodeo, to be held March 7 -26.

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Houston's richest residents, best suburbs, and more top city news in 2025

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Editor’s note: As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined Houston this year. In our City Life section, readers will notice several of our local universities earned high praise from prestigious global and national publications. Houston's sprawling suburbs continued to skyrocket in popularity for their livability and safety, and no top-10 list is complete without mentioning the city's wealthiest residents. Read on for the top 10 Houston City Life stories of 2025.

1. 2 Houston universities named among world’s best in 2026 rankings. These two high-performing local institutions – Rice University and University of Houston – are in a class of their own, according to the QS World University Rankings 2026. QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) compiles the prestigious list each year; the 2026 edition includes more than 1,500 universities from around the world.

2. Richard Kinder is Houston's richest billionaire in 2025, Forbes says. The Kinder Morgan chairman is the 11th richest Texas resident right now, and ranks as the 108th richest American. Kinder also dethroned Tilman Fertitta to claim the title as the wealthiest Houstonian.

3. 2 Houston neighbors shine as top-10 best places to live in the U.S. Pearland and League City, respectively, claimed No. 3 and No. 6 in U.S. News & World Report's annual "Best Places to Live in the U.S." rankings. The 2025-2026 rankings examined 250 U.S. cities based on five livability indexes: Quality of life, value, desirability, job market, and net migration.

4. 5 Houston suburbs deemed best places to retire in 2026 by U.S. News. The Woodlands and Spring should be on the lookout for an influx of retirees next year, U.S. News predicts. Three more Houston-area neighbors also ranked among the top 25 best places to retire in America.

5. Activist group calls out Houston highway as a 'freeway without a future'. A May 2025 report from Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) included Houston's Interstate 45 expansion on its list of highways with infrastructure that is "nearing the end of its functional life." CNU claims further expansion of Houston's highway system could eventually lead to the loss of the city's bayous, while also diminishing the remaining flood-absorbing land.

6. 10 things to know about America's first Ismaili Center opening in Houston. After nearly 20 years in the making, the long-awaited Ismaili Center, Houston finally opened its doors to the public. The 11-acre site was painstakingly designed and constructed to offer indoor and outdoor public spaces for all Houstonians to enjoy, connect, and engage.

7. Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta asking $192 million for superyacht. Fertitta, who owns the Houston Rockets and restaurant and hospitality conglomerate Landry's, decided to sell his 252-foot yacht, named Boardwalk, to make room for an even larger superyacht he is expected to receive in April 2026. Among numerous luxurious amenities, Boardwalk also features a helipad.

8. 2 Houston neighbors rank among America's safest suburbs in 2025. Spring came in at No. 19 and West University Place followed at No. 21 in SmartAsset's August 2025 study, which is the first time the two Houston suburbs have made it into the top 25.

9. Houston is one of America's most overpriced cities, study finds. This likely isn't a surprise to some Houstonians. The study, conducted by Highland Cabinetry, said Houston "struggles with heavy pollution and underwhelming income levels."

10. 9 Houston universities make U.S. News' 2025 list of top grad schools. Among the newcomers this year are Houston Christian University and Texas Southern University. HCU's graduate education school ranks No. 21 in Texas, and TSU has the 10th best law school in the state.

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