American Royal Rodeo Event to Downsize, Change Venue

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The American Royal Rodeo will be a smaller event this year, and it will not return to the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City. American Royal officials say the rodeo will move to Hale Arena in Kansas City's West Bottoms, rather than to its longtime home at Kemper Arena. The event also will not include any performances from main headliners such as last year's concert by Reba McEntire, but instead will focus on Kansas City and regional bands. American Royal President Bob Petersen says several factors, including scheduling conflicts with the Sprint Center and the rodeo calendar, prompted the changes. The Kansas City Star reports the rodeo is planned for September 27-29, which will make Kansas City the last major stop on the rodeo circuit before the national rodeo finals in Las Vegas.