Calgary Saddledome Demolition, 2027 timeline and what comes next

The Calgary Saddledome will be demolished in 2027, after Scotia Place opens on the same Stampede grounds. This is the timeline, the why, what's replacing it, and what Calgarians will lose when the wrecking ball arrives.

Why the Saddledome is being demolished

By the late 2010s the Saddledome had become one of the NHL's smallest and most aging arenas. It opened in 1983, its peer arenas of that era (the Boston Garden, Maple Leaf Gardens, the Forum, the Spectrum) had all been closed or replaced years earlier. Modern NHL arenas typically include 30–60 luxury suites, expanded concession revenue spaces, and accessibility infrastructure that the Saddledome's hyperbolic-paraboloid design couldn't easily accommodate.

By 2019 the question was no longer whether to replace the Saddledome but where, when, and who pays. The 2013 flood, which sent the Bow River into row 14 of the lower bowl, accelerated the conversation by demonstrating the building's vulnerability to its riverside location.

The arena agreement, 2019

In December 2019, the City of Calgary, the Calgary Stampede, and Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (the Flames' ownership group) reached an agreement to build a new arena on the Stampede grounds, directly adjacent to the existing Saddledome. The agreement included:

• A new ~19,000-seat arena to be funded through a combination of City contribution, private investment, and Stampede land contribution.
• The new arena's construction would not begin until financing was finalized.
• The Saddledome would be demolished after the new arena's first NHL season.
• The Saddledome's land would be redeveloped as additional Stampede event space, parking, and BMO Centre expansion.

An earlier 2018 deal had collapsed due to disagreement over funding shares. The 2019 agreement was the second attempt, and it stuck.

Scotia Place: the replacement

The new arena's construction began in 2024 after final financing approvals. It was named Scotia Place under a multi-decade naming-rights agreement with Scotiabank, continuity from the Scotiabank Saddledome name. Scotia Place's design includes:

• ~18,400 seats for hockey, expandable to ~19,500 for concerts.
• Approximately 60 luxury suites.
• Expanded concourses and accessibility infrastructure.
• Better separation from the Bow River flood plain.
• Direct connection to the BMO Centre's expanded conference space.
• Public plaza facing the Stampede grounds.

The arena is scheduled to open in fall 2027. The Calgary Flames will play their first home game there in October 2027. The Calgary Roughnecks (NLL) and Calgary Hitmen (WHL) will follow.

The demolition timeline

The Saddledome's final NHL season is the 2026-27 Flames campaign, running October 2026 through April 2027 (with playoffs into June if the team qualifies). After the building's final hosted event in summer 2027, demolition is scheduled to begin.

Demolition method has not been finalized publicly, but options under discussion include:

• Conventional deconstruction: Roof removed in segments using cranes, walls dismantled section by section. Slower (12–18 months) but quieter and less disruptive to the Stampede grounds.
• Implosion: Controlled demolition with explosives. Faster (single day) but requires evacuation of the surrounding area. Calgary has not historically used implosion for major civic structures.

The Saddledome's distinctive saddle-shaped roof, an internationally recognized example of hyperbolic-paraboloid architecture, has prompted some discussion of partial preservation, but no formal preservation plan has been announced.

What Calgary loses

The Saddledome is one of the last NHL arenas of the 1980s still standing. Its peer buildings have all been replaced. When the Saddledome comes down, Calgary loses:

• The 1988 Olympic ice hockey venue, the place where the Soviet Union won gold.
• The site of the 1989 Stanley Cup celebration on home ice.
• The architecture of the saddle-roof, among the most photographed buildings in Calgary.
• Forty-four years of accumulated concert memory.
• The seat numbers and section-letter codes that thousands of Calgarians associate with specific personal moments.

"You can replace the building. You can't replace the geography of memory. Section 220, row 8, seat 17, somebody's first concert. That seat is about to stop existing." — Editor's note, Fat Monk Media

What replaces it

The Stampede master plan, updated periodically since the early 2000s, calls for the Saddledome's footprint to be incorporated into expanded Stampede grounds. Possibilities include:

• Expanded Stampede event space, including outdoor concert capacity.
• Additional BMO Centre conference and trade-show space.
• Public plaza connecting the Stampede grounds to the river pathway.
• Parking and transit infrastructure improvements.

No commemorative memorial or building element has been formally announced as part of the redevelopment, though preservation advocates have called for a plaque, sculpture, or heritage panel marking the original Saddledome footprint.

How to be there for the building's final years

The 2026 calendar is the building's final full year of regular bookings. Concerts and Flames games for 2026-27 are listed on the Saddledome homepage, pulled live from Ticketmaster. We're collecting Saddledome memories on this site to preserve the building's record before it disappears. File a memory. Calgarians who saw the 1988 Olympics, the 1989 Cup parade, AC/DC's Ballbreaker tour, the Hip's farewell, or anything else worth remembering, your account becomes part of the building's permanent ledger.

Sources

City of Calgary arena agreement documents (2019) · Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation press releases · Calgary Stampede master plan · CBC and Calgary Herald reporting on the arena agreement · Public consultation records.