Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to close early amid coronavirus concerns

In the interest of public health, the City of Houston and the Houston Health Department have ordered the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to close early on March 11. The event was scheduled from March 3 to 22 in Houston, Texas.

In a statement released March 11, it states: "The Rodeo will respectfully and dutifully comply with the City’s order. The Rodeo is deeply saddened; however, the safety and well-being of our guests and our community is our top priority. Out of precaution, the City has decided that this is the best course of action for our community."

"The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has been a fabric of this community since 1932. Having to close early is extremely difficult as guests, volunteers, exhibitors, rodeo athletes and entertainers look forward to the 20 days of the rodeo each year."

According to the Rodeo Houston website, attendance in 2019 was more than 2.5 million people, and unofficially in 2020, attendance was already near 550,000 people in just 7 days.

"We look forward to the 2021 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to continue to promote agriculture, education, entertainment and Western heritage. We will provide additional information as it becomes available."

A ticket refund process is still in the works and will be communicated once it is finalized. Updates will be posted at rodeohouston.com/2020.

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.