Calgary is 100 days out from its annual celebration of all things western and to kick it all off, Canada’s queen of country music will get the party started.
The Calgary Stampede said it’s honoured to announce superstar Shania Twain will lead the 2025 Stampede parade, presented by Suncor.
The Stampede said she’s set to bring her powerhouse performance as part of the event’s concert series at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday, July 5.
Twain, who last performed at the Stampede in 2014, said Calgary and all of Alberta has always held a special place in her heart.
“The Calgary Stampede is an amazing celebration of Western heritage and culture and embodies the true spirit of Calgarians and Canadians,” she said.
“I look forward to being part of it again, not only playing at the Saddledome on the first Saturday of Stampede, but also on horseback riding through the streets of downtown Calgary.”
Born and raised in Timmins, Ont., Twain is a five-time Grammy winner and one of music’s most renowned trailblazers.
Twain broke out globally in the mid-’90s with her sophomore album, The Woman in Me.
With six albums released and more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, Twain remains the top-selling female country pop artist of all time.
She wrapped a Las Vegas residency last month and will embark on a North American tour this summer.
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More than just a festive show in the streets, the Stampede said its parade is a march through tradition, history and Calgary’s culture.
Each year the parade is led by the marshal, who the organization said is a special individual that exemplifies the values of the Stampede.
“With just 100 days until the parade rolls through the streets of downtown Calgary, there’s no better way to mark the occasion than by welcoming Shania Twain as our 2025 parade marshal,” Stuart O’Connor, president and chair of the Calgary Stampede board, said.
“As a Canadian icon who has captivated audiences worldwide, Shania embodies the grit, passion and celebration that defines the Stampede.”
Past parade marshals have included a range of politicians, athletes, celebrities and other dignitaries such as actor Kevin Costner, astronauts Chris Hadfield and Jeremy Hansen, Olympic medalist Mark McMorris, and the Chiefs of Treaty 7 Nations.
Other former Stampede parade marshals include singers Jann Arden and Paul Brandt, Olympian Kaillie Humphries, actor William Shatner, Man in Motion Rick Hansen, actor Christopher Reeve and Mickey Mouse.
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The Calgary Stampede parade begins at 9 a.m. on Friday, July 4, with the prelude beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Global Calgary is once again the official broadcast partner of the parade. Those who cannot make it down to watch the event in person can take it in by watching Global Calgary on TV or on our Global News website.
The fairgrounds will open right after the parade, and admission will be free from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. that day. The Stampede runs from July 4 to 13.
— with a file from Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press