NFR 2026 Performance Times: Arrival, Opening Ceremonies & Daily Plans

Schedule & Results

The listed start of the rodeo is one point in a longer day. Plan shopping, transport, entry and any opening entertainment around your specific performance date.

Dates and nightly starting point

The official 2026 schedule lists ten performances from December 3 through December 12 at Thomas & Mack Center. The current starting time is 5:45 p.m. in Las Vegas. For other US zones, that is 6:45 p.m. Mountain, 7:45 p.m. Central and 8:45 p.m. Eastern.

Check the round-by-round table for dates. This guide focuses on how to plan the surrounding hours rather than treating a performance start as the time to leave your hotel.

Doors, entry and finding your place

Use current ticket-holder and venue information for the opening of doors. Door time, opening ceremony time and competition start are separate pieces of information. They should not be guessed from one another.

Work backward from the parts of the evening you want to see. Include hotel departure, pickup or parking, walking to the entrance, security and locating your section. If your group has accessibility needs or mobile-ticket questions, resolve those with the venue before event day.

An example daytime-to-evening plan

Part of the day	Planning task
Morning	Visit Cowboy Christmas or another confirmed daytime activity
Early afternoon	Allow time for food, shopping purchases and a hotel stop
Before departure	Check the current route, ticket access and entry rules
At the arena	Leave time for security and finding your section
5:45 p.m. Pacific	Current published performance start
After the round	Follow your return-transport or confirmed nightlife plan

This is an itinerary framework, not a timetable of officially scheduled activities. Substitute the exact times from your tickets, transport service and chosen venue.

Opening entertainment and theme nights

Check the organizer’s current opening-ceremony and performance-detail pages for the act or theme attached to your round. A concert elsewhere in Las Vegas is not necessarily part of the arena program.

If the anthem or pre-show is important to you, plan an earlier arrival and verify the broadcaster’s coverage separately. An online feed may carry a different opening window from the in-arena experience.

How long should you keep the evening free?

Allow flexibility rather than anchoring another paid booking to a guessed finish. Competition, presentation and the movement of a full audience can affect when you leave the building and reach a vehicle. Your transportation time continues after the last event.

Tell a restaurant or late-night venue if your reservation depends on the rodeo. Check its late-arrival policy and choose a backup meeting point for companions. See our after-parties guide before combining events.