Houston Rodeo Canceled Over Coronavirus Concerns

All shows scheduled at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Stadium for the month of March have been canceled following growing coronavirus concerns.

The news was first reported by Houston.com, following several city council meetings held at NRG Stadium and City Hall where officials decided on the move. During a press conference Wednesday (March 11), Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told the community there has been an emergency health declaration set in place for the next seven days as "we continue to assess the situation."

"The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo that we deeply love and support, they are directly impacted. As of today, starting tonight, the concerts will come to an end. It will also impact the remaining concerts and events at the Houston Livestock and Rodeo," he said, adding that all events in Houston will be canceled for the rest of March. "We will carefully monitor this situation."

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs from March 3-22. Kane Brown was scheduled to perform Wednesday, with additional country sets by Dierks Bentley on March 15 and Keith Urban on March 16.

"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. The Rodeo will respectfully and dutifully comply with the City’s order," says a statement from Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officials. "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.

"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. Updates will be posted at rodeohouston.com/2020."

Over the weekend, Maren Morris headlined a show at Houston Rodeo. The country singer is nine months pregnant with her first child with husband Ryan Hurd. “If I go into labor during this show, it’s all good because it just means that my kid really wanted to be born in Texas," the Texas native told the crowd, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The news of the cancellation comes several days after the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in Nashville, was postponed until later this year and South by Southwest in Austin was canceled outright due to coronavirus. On Tuesday, Coachella and Stagecoach festivals were officially rescheduled for October.

---