American Royal to host first events at KCK location this year. See the schedule
After nearly a decade of anticipation, Wyandotte County residents can expect to see movement out where American Royal plans to set up its new facility in western Kansas City, Kansas.
The American Royal, an agriculture- and education-based organization that hosts Kansas City’s rodeos, stock shows and famous barbecue contests, is moving from its longtime home in the West Bottoms out to a new home north of the Kansas Speedway.
After years of delays, the American Royal announced that it plans to hold its first events at its new KCK facility starting this fall. And it’s starting with all four of its largest events.
The organization’s four main events: The Royal Showcase Horse Show, the Cutting Horse Show, the World Series of Barbecue and Fall Livestock Show, will all take place at the new spot.
The Showcase Horse Show will be held Sept. 12-13, the Cutting Horse Show on Sept. 18-21, the barbecue contest Sept. 30 through Oct. 4, and the fall stock show on Oct. 9-25.
Pat Macy, chief executive officer of American Royal, told The Star on Friday that starting events in KCK with those four staples was intentional. The organization wants people’s first experiences in the new location to be memorable, displaying the best the Royal has to offer.
The committees that plan those major events are looking forward to hosting them in a new space, Macy said. The teams are reimagining how each event will look and flow differently out on the KCK campus.
The American Royal will also continue to hold events at its West Bottoms location as construction continues in KCK. Construction is expected to be fully completed by 2029, although some phases will be completed earlier, meaning the space can be used for events throughout the process.
The 390,000 square feet of barns and exhibition halls that are currently in the works should be completed for public use by September of this year, Macy said.
Down the road, the American Royal plans to build an 80,000-square-foot learning center that will include a 750-seat amphitheater, interactive exhibits, cooking labs and galleries, according to the organization.
After the project is fully completed, and American Royal staff can fully move into the KCK location, what happens to the West Bottoms location will be up to Kansas City, Missouri, which owns the building.
“This moment marks a meaningful step forward for the American Royal and the people who make it what it is,” Macy said in an American Royal news release this week. “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.”
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 1:12 PM.
