The 127th American Royal opens at its new campus

The American Royal is back for its 127th edition, and this year it comes with a new address. The Fall Livestock Show runs from October 9 to October 25, 2026, at the American Royal New Campus in Kansas City, Kansas, sitting at State Avenue and 118th Street in Wyandotte County, just northwest of the Kansas Speedway. The permanent address is 1899 American Royal Way, 66109, though the temporary construction address is 11602 State Avenue. For an organization that started in 1899, this is a first: after 127 years, it is finally hosting events on a campus it actually owns.

The scale of the place is hard to overstate. The campus covers about 80 acres and holds 390,000 square feet of livestock barns and an exhibition hall, with 3,774 cattle ties and 1,528 horse stalls, all fully climate controlled. The project is valued at $375 million, financed through a mix of $155 million in STAR bonds and private fundraising, and construction on the five barns and exhibition hall was roughly 80% complete and on track for a September opening.

If you are planning to go, the show is spread across three weeks, each with its own focus. Week one is for breeding cattle shows, week two shifts to junior market shows, and week three returns to breeding cattle. Scattered through that run are the events that draw the biggest crowds: the Sullivan Supply Sheep and Goat Fitting Contest on October 14 at 7:00 p.m., with registration opening October 12 and closing that same day; the Junior Premium Livestock Auction on October 17; the 4-H/FFA Livestock Judging Contest on October 18; the Meats Judging Contests from October 18 to 21; and the Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest on October 19. One thing to know before you go: the fall field trips were discontinued in 2025 and will not return this year.

The livestock show is only one chapter of the new campus's first full season. The Royal Showcase Horse Show ran September 12 to 13, the Cutting Horse Show followed September 18 to 21, and the World Series of Barbecue took over from September 30 to October 4. Looking ahead, the UPHA American Royal National Championship Horse Show runs November 16 to 21 over at Hale Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Crops Judging Contest falls on November 16 and 17. After that, the calendar stretches into 2027 with the Royal Roundup on February 25 and the Tablesteaks and Youth Rodeo both in April.

For anyone who wants to get involved rather than just watch, the deadlines are worth tracking. DNA validation opened July 1 and closed August 15, and general entries opened August 1 and closed September 10. The American Royal is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, and if you have questions about what is happening on any given day, you can reach them at 816-569-4017 or email info@americanroyal.com. Whether you are there for the livestock, the competition, or just to see the new facility in action, there is plenty to catch between now and the 25th.