The American Royal livestock show, a Kansas City tradition, crowns champions across breeding and market animal competitions over three weeks.
The 127th American Royal Livestock Show is running from October 9 to 25 at the American Royal New Campus in Kansas City, Kansas. It's a Kansas City tradition that's been around since 1899, and this year it's taking place at the new facility—an 80-acre campus with a fully climate-controlled arena, so you won't be fighting the October weather while you're inside.
The show is built around breeding and market animal competitions, and it's spread across three weeks. The first and third weeks are dedicated to breeding cattle shows, and the second week is for junior market shows. If you're following the breeding side, you'll want to look at the start and the end of the run; if you're interested in the junior market competitions, the middle week is your window. Between the two, the show crowns champions across the different categories.
The American Royal describes itself as the nation's highest-caliber livestock show, and it's built on a legacy of competition, scholarships, and education. That's a good way to frame it: it's as much about the youth and the next generation of livestock producers as it is about the animals themselves. The junior market shows in the second week are a big part of that.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Kansas City and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
One thing to keep in mind: fall field trips, which were discontinued in 2025, aren't coming back this year. If you're planning a group visit, that's something to note.
As for getting there, the new campus is at State Avenue and 118th Street. The permanent address is 1899 American Royal Way, Kansas City, KS 66109, but the temporary construction address is 11602 State Avenue. The show runs through October 25.
