American Royal Leaving West Bottoms

REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- After 127 years of the American Royal being in the West Bottoms of Kansas City, Missouri, events will be held to the north at the new facility in Kansas City, Kansas.

"This moment marks a meaningful step forward for the American Royal and the people who make it what it is," said Pat Macy, chief executive officer of the American Royal, in a news release. "These events have such deep roots, and being able to bring them to our new home is something we've been working toward for a long time."

FALL 2026 EVENTS KICK OFF THE NEW ERA

Events at the new facility will start with the Royal Showcase Horse Show, Sept. 12-13, 2026. That will be followed by the Cutting Horse Show, Sept. 18-21; the World Series of Barbecue, Sept. 30-Oct. 4; and the Fall Livestock Show, Oct. 9-25.

The new American Royal facility is located near the Kansas Speedway at State Avenue and 118th Street in Kansas City, Kansas. Groundbreaking happened in November 2023 on the estimated $375 million campus with funding coming from charitable contributions, private financing and public commitments. Construction restarted in mid-April after the first round of Kansas STAR (Sales Tax and Revenue) bond funding closed in early March. STAR bonds are a financing tool that allows Kansas municipalities to issue bonds for projects such as this, with repayment coming from future state and local sales tax revenue, according to Kansas Commerce.

NEW CAMPUS NEAR KANSAS SPEEDWAY

Current construction is focused on the completion of the barns and exhibition hall by September 2026 for the fall events. Macy told DTN the barns and exhibition hall are 390,000 square feet and include cattle ties for 3,700 head and small animal 6-by-6-foot pens for 2,500 head at the same time. Horse stalls, 10-by-10-foot in size, can be placed in this barn to house 1,740 horses.

"During the fall 2026 events we will have two showrings set up in the barns and bleachers in the area," Macy said. "These will be removed once the arenas are complete by 2029."

The American Royal organization has a plan for loading and unloading livestock around the barns and will be able to change and adapt that plan as needed, according to Macy. Tie-out stalls for cattle will be set up near the barns with a more permanent location later in the construction design.

The current staff offices will stay in the West Bottoms location until the arena and engagement centers are complete at the new campus. Macy said the barn area does have rooms that can be used during the events, and these also provide space for other educational purposes.

"We will start taking applications next month for booking events in 2027," Macy added. "Having a campus with this kind of scale and flexibility allows us to build on what the American Royal has become over the past 127 years. This is the beginning of the American Royal's next chapter."

Full transition to the new facility is expected by March 2029. The American Royal facilities located in the West Bottoms are owned by the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and will continue to be used until the transition is complete.

For more information on the new American Royal facility, visit https://americanroyal.com/….

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

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