In Texas, where legacy matters and grit is currency, there are few stages as fiercely contested as the one beneath a bull rider’s boots. And in May 2026, the epicenter of that arena-caliber drama will be back where it belongs \u2014 deep in the heart of Fort Worth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
PBR (Professional Bull Riders) announced that its World Finals \u2014 the high-stakes championship of its top-tier Unleash The Beast tour \u2014 will return to Dickies Arena for a four-day showdown, May 14\u201317. The early rounds will unfold at Cowtown Coliseum, May 7\u201310, marking a two-stop run that puts both of Fort Worth\u2019s crown-jewel Western venues in the national spotlight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to AT&T Stadium, PBR World Finals \u2013 Championship will shift to a new home for the season \u2013 Dickies Arena,\u201d said Sean Gleason, CEO and Commissioner of PBR. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to keep the toughest championship in sports right here in Texas, starting the journey at historic Cowtown Coliseum and culminating with crowning our new World Champion at Dickies Arena \u2014 also home to the Fort Worth Rattlers of PBR Teams.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
Dickies Arena isn\u2019t new to this dance. It hosted the Finals in 2022 and 2023, bearing witness to some of the sport\u2019s most jaw-dropping rides \u2014 like Daylon Swearingen\u2019s 93-point conquest of Big Black on his way to a gold buckle, or Mauricio Moreira\u2019s unforgettable 94.25-point scorcher aboard WSM\u2019s Jive Turkey.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The drama hit fever pitch in 2023, when only 16 points separated frontrunners Kaique Pacheco and Jos\u00e9 Vitor Leme entering Finals week. But it was Brazilian dark horse Rafael Jose de Brito who lit up Dickies, winning the World Finals, World Champion title, and Rookie of the Year honors in one electrifying sweep \u2014 a rare \u201cTriple Crown\u201d few saw coming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, with AT&T Stadium committed to hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the World Finals returns to its former home in full. And for many, it feels just right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are excited to welcome back PBR World Finals to Dickies Arena and to create a packed arena with enthusiastic fans to witness these incredible world-class athletes,\u201d said Matt Homan, general manager and president of Dickies Arena.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the party starts a week earlier at Cowtown Coliseum \u2014 the Stockyards\u2019 storied showplace where it all began. PBR\u2019s very first event was held there in 1993. In 2024 and 2025, the venue hosted the early rounds to standing-room-only crowds, reinvigorating the Finals format and reintroducing fans to the Coliseum\u2019s singular charm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCowtown Coliseum was the site of the first indoor rodeo, the first rodeo broadcast on radio, and the first televised rodeo in the United States,\u201d said Tim Long, general manager of Cowtown Coliseum. \u201cIt\u2019s only fitting that this historic Fort Worth venue now serves as the home of the crucial opening rounds of PBR World Finals.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Visit Fort Worth CEO Bob Jameson summed up the sentiment across the city: \u201cFort Worth is honored to welcome PBR World Finals back to both Cowtown Coliseum and Dickies Arena \u2014 two iconic venues that showcase the city\u2019s Western heritage and world-class hospitality.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n