Tight Jeans And Kisses

Tight jeans and kisses: Luke Bryan wraps up the Rodeo with enthusiastic performance

In the words of Luke Bryan, "You can kiss tomorrow goodbye" because RodeoHouston 2015 wrapped up Sunday night and the singer-songwriter closed it out in a big way, leaving fans already craving what's in store for 2016.

"It's good to be back," Bryan said with genuine enthusiasm, and he proved it with a high-energy performance that charmed the crowd of 75,005.

Having prepped up his wardrobe a bit, the Georgia native rocked a ball cap (which he flipped from front to back), a blue plaid shirt tucked into his black jeans and two-toned boots, allowing every camera angle to show just how much fun he was having — and how tight his jeans were — during his fourth straight RodeoHouston appearance.

"To prove his love for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Bryan even took a minute to caress the bald head of a NRG security staff poised on the dirt.

"That's my kinda night — Sunday night at the Rodeo," the award-winning country star shouted.

Bryan also gave his approval multiple times for a makeout sesh. "You better be kissing somebody tonight," he said as he blew kisses to the crowd before taking the dirt and taking the ultimate selfies with a few lucky fans.

During his 14-song set list, Bryan seemed to enjoy every second he spent on that rotating stage. He often flashed his megawatt smile, made goofy looks while tilting his cap, shook his hips and bounded back and forth to delight of his fans. To prove his love for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, he even took a minute to caress the bald head of a NRG security staff poised on the dirt.

"Thank you so much for having me on this last night of the Rodeo. This is the highlight of my year every year," he said just before taking his hat off to salute the military.

With a closing performance like this (and a lot fewer pelvic thrusts than last year's rodeo go-round), it's no wonder Bryan won Entertainer of the Year at last year's CMA Awards.

Luke Bryan's Set List:

Night

Friends

Rain

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

Roller Coaster

Play It Again

BABY

This Is How We Roll

Crash My Party

Drink A Beer

Drunk On You

I See You

Night To End

Country Girl

"That's my kinda night — Sunday night at the Rodeo," the award-winning country star shouted.

Photo by John Boni CatchLightGroup.com

"That's my kinda night — Sunday night at the Rodeo," the award-winning country star shouted.

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HLSR facts and figures

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo breaks all-time attendance record

A female barrel rider performs at the 2025 Houston LIvestock Show and Rodeo.

Photo courtesy of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

An astounding 2.7 million people attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 2025

After the final hums of Luke Bryan's amplifiers faded and the scent of Bun B's chicken tendies wafted deliciously away, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo counted its gate receipts. The 2025 rodeo set an all-time attendance record over the course of its 23-day run with 2,735,695 visitors. If the rodeo were a U.S. state, it would be the 37th most populated after Mississippi. More people came to the rodeo this year than attended every San Diego Comic Con since 2000 combined. It's a lot of folks.

"The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo continues to represent the very best of our Texas traditions, bringing together our diverse community through exceptional entertainment, thrilling competitions, and educational experiences.” said Chris Boleman, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo president and CEO. “The incredible year 2025 has been a testament to what we can achieve together. None of this would be possible without the unwavering dedication and help from 35,000 volunteers across 109 committees, alongside our incredible donors and sponsors who share our vision of celebrating Western heritage while investing in the future of Texas youth and education. We are profoundly thankful for our community whose enthusiasm and support make this iconic celebration possible year after year.”

Nor was the gate the only place that the rodeo shattered records. At the annual school art auction, Sophie Zhou sold her painting "Nurture" for $276,000. The money raised in the auction goes to scholarship and education opportunities for those entering fields related to ranching and agriculture. Junior livestock auction sales totaled $29,652,317, another new record, which include new milestones in barrows, broilers, goats, lambs, steers, and turkeys.

The sports competitors also did well, though none walked away with a record-breaking purse. A combined $2,533,500 was awarded to various riders and ropers, with individual champions taking home between $69,000 and $73,500. The top winner was Riley Webb of Denton, Texas in the tie down roping event.

The sheer scale of the rodeo is hard to believe sometimes. For instance, the popular carnival was delivered by the RCS company by driving a combined total of 420,000 miles, more than 14 times the circumference of the Earth. The new Virtual Chuck Wagon game station hosted 12,600 players, meaning they traversed a digital distance nearly three times the length of the Mississippi River.

Now that it's over, all that's left is to plan the next year's records to break, proving that the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is truly as big as Texas.

rodeo houston livestock show and rodeo rodeohouston