Costa Rica’s National Stadium will trade soccer chants for bull riding, barrel racing and cowboy culture on Sunday, June 7, when the Extreme American Rodeo 2026 takes over La Sabana for what is being billed as the largest rodeo in Central America. The event will be held at the Estadio Nacional in San José and is expected to draw fans from across our country, along with visitors looking for a different side of Costa Rican culture beyond beaches, volcanoes and wildlife tours.
Organized by Family Fun and RPM TV, the rodeo will bring together competitors from Costa Rica, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Panama. The program includes bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, team penning and breakaway roping, along with traditional Costa Rican-style riding.
For tourists spending time in the Central Valley, the event offers an easy way to see a tradition that is usually tied to provincial fairs, especially in Guanacaste, where Costa Rica’s sabanero, or cowboy, heritage remains part of local identity. Guanacaste is widely associated with sabanero culture, folkloric music, cattle ranching traditions and community fiestas where rodeos and bull riding remain common attractions.
Rodeos in Costa Rica are not usually packaged for international tourists in the same way as rainforest hikes, surf lessons or coffee tours. Much of it is rooted in local fiestas, where families gather for food, music, carnival rides, horse parades and bull events. That makes the June 7 show noteworthy because it brings rural and regional traditions into one of our country’s most visible urban venues.
The organizers have promoted the Extreme American Rodeo as a large-format show combining sport, entertainment and high-level production. Previous editions were held in Costa Rica, including one in 2024, and organizers say the response from the public encouraged them to return with a larger version this year.
The timing also gives the event a useful place on the calendar. Early June falls near the beginning of our green season, when visitors in San José often look for cultural events that do not require a long trip to the coast or mountains. The National Stadium location makes the rodeo more accessible for residents and tourists staying in San José, Escazú, Santa Ana, Heredia, Alajuela or other nearby areas.
It is also a reminder that Costa Rica’s cultural identity is not limited to nature tourism. Our country’s sabanero traditions, especially in the northwest, are tied to horses, cattle, music, food and rural celebrations. Large rodeo events give visitors a public view of that heritage without needing to travel to a small-town fair.
Tickets for the Extreme American Rodeo 2026 are available through eticket.cr, where seating locations and prices are listed. The ticketing platform lists the event for Sunday, June 7, at 11 a.m. at the Estadio Nacional in Mata Redonda, San José.
