PBR World Finals schedule, concerts and events in Fort Worth: Here’s what to know

The Professional Bull Riders World Finals will steer its way into Fort Worth for the first time ever, with events kicking off this weekend. The festivities include rodeos, bullfighting and concert performances by Robert Earl Keen, Travis Tritt and LeAnn Rimes.

Dickies Arena is hosting the PBR World Finals, which has been a Las Vegas mainstay since its inception in 1994. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the competition was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in 2020, but was back to Las Vegas for last year’s event.

The PBR World Finals: Unleash the Beast competition takes place over seven days in May, starting Friday, May 13. Millions in prize money will be given to contestants, and the champion will go home with the coveted gold buckle.

Festivities kickoff this weekend with the first three rounds of competition. The action picks up again May 19 and runs until May 22, closing out the final rounds of the competition. Tickets are on sale now.

Between and during the competition rounds, fans will have plenty to do from concerts to events planned throughout the weekends. Here’s what fans can look forward to outside of the competition.

Concerts

There are two concert series taking place over the competition: the Pendleton Whisky Concert Series and World Finals Concert Series.

Sponsored by Pendleton Whisky, there will be nine artists performing over the two weekends. All but two of the shows are free to enter. Tickets for Danielle Bradberry and Mitchell Tenpenny are available now.

• May 13: Tyler Braden at Simmons Bank Plaza at Dickies Arena, 5 to 6 p.m.
• May 14: Chancey Williams at Simmons Bank Plaza at Dickies Arena, 5 to 6 p.m.
• May 15: Tim Duggar at Simmons Bank Plaza at Dickies Arena, noon to 1 p.m.
• May 19: Danielle Bradberry in Dickies Arena at 7 p.m. is a ticketed event. Ashley Cooke performs a free event at Mule Alley in the Fort Worth Stockyards from 9 to 11 p.m.
• May 20: Mitchell Tenpenny in Dickies Arena at 8 p.m. is a ticketed event. Andy Velo performs a free event at Mule Alley in the Fort Worth Stockyards from 9 to 11 p.m.
• May 21: Warrant at Simmons Bank Plaza at Dickies Arena, 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., and Jake Worthington at Mule Alley in the Fort Worth Stockyards, 9 to 11 p.m.

The World Finals Concert series hosts four artists who will perform at the Will Rogers Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now.

• May 13: Charley Crockett at 8:30 p.m.
• May 19: Travis Tritt at 8:30 p.m.
• May 20: LeAnn Rimes at 8:30 p.m.
• May 21: Robert Earl Keen at 8:30 p.m.

VIP Experiences

Fans can get up close and personal with the sport of bull riding (without having to hold onto a saddle) by buying VIP access.

• Behind-the-scene tours: Fans can get an inside view of how the world finals work and what it takes to host a huge competition. Tickets cost $50 per person and are available for Saturday, May 14, and again on Saturday, May 21.
• Bull Housing Tour: Just like it sounds, fans can get a tour of where the fiercest bulls stay before they take on the world’s best riders. Tickets cost $50 per person and are available for Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21.
• Flint’s Outside the Barrel: Flint Rasmussen’s live talk show is free to attend on Friday and Saturday, May 13-14, and the following Thursday, May 19, through Saturday, May 21, at the Simmons Bank Plaza. Fans looking for front-row reserved seating and a meet-and-great with Rasmussen can buy the VIP package for $50 by calling PBR customer service at 800-732-1727.
  
  

Other events

Here are other events over the two weekends:

• Women’s Rodeo Championship: The richest women’s event in rodeo history will take at the Cowtown Coliseum, with a $750,000 guaranteed payout. The two days of qualifiers are free to attend at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 16, and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17. The championship finale at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, is a ticketed event.
• PBR Cowboy Experience and Expo: Held daily from May 13 to 21, fans can attend the expo which includes national vendors, live entertainment, rider autograph sessions and kid zones. The experience is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Simmons Bank Pavilion in Dickies Arena. The expo is daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Fort Worth Stockyards. This event is free.
• Tractor Supply Co. PBR World Finals Pre-Show: Friday to Sunday, May 13-15, and Friday to Saturday, May 19-21, at 11:30 a.m. in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The pre-show is the kickoff to each evening’s round of competition. Fans are encouraged to stop by and bring signs to hold during the show. This event is free.
• Ultimate Freestyle Bullfighting: Competitors go for it Friday and Saturday, May 13-14, and Friday and Saturday, May 20-21. The wildcard rounds kick off at 3 p.m. at the Will Rogers tent on May 13-14; the semi-finals are May 20 at the same time. The championship round is at 10:30 p.m. at the Cowtown Coliseum on May 21. This event is free.
• Bulls Gone Wild: On Friday and Saturday, May 13-14, fans can travel to Cowtown Coliseum at 10 p.m. for a night of celebrity guest stars, game show challenges and the world’s best freestyle bullfighters doing what they do best. Tickets are on sale now.
• Parade of Champions: On Saturday, May 14, and Saturday, May 21, the parade will show off 30 of the best bull riders who are competing at the world finals. The parade starts at the Fort Worth Stockyards at 11:35 a.m. both days.

This story was originally published May 11, 2022 at 1:10 PM.

Brayden Garcia

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Brayden Garcia is a service journalism reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Brayden mainly writes about weather and all things Taylor Sheridan-related.