Calgary Saddledome Parking

The Saddledome sits on the Stampede grounds in southeast downtown Calgary. Parking on event nights is plentiful but not cheap. Prices range from $20 to $40 depending on the event and lot, with surge pricing during big games and concerts. Most regulars take the CTrain.

Lots managed by the venue operator

The Saddledome and the Calgary Stampede share a network of paid parking lots on the Stampede grounds, managed by the venue operator. The closest to the building are the East Lot and the South Lot, both within a five-minute walk to the main entrance. Prices on event nights typically run $25 to $40. During Stampede (early to mid July), prices can hit $50 or more. Lots open about two hours before puck drop or the listed concert time.

The Stampede website and the Saddledome website both list event-day parking through the operator's parking portals. Pre-paying online typically saves $5 to $10 over walk-up rates. ParkPlus is the primary city-of-Calgary digital parking system; the Stampede grounds use their own.

The cheaper alternatives

Walking distance lots that are not on the Stampede grounds:

• Calgary Stampede public parking: surface lots southwest of the grounds, often $10 to $15 cheaper than the East Lot, with a 10-to-15-minute walk to the building.
• Beltline residential streets: 17th Avenue area has some street parking, but most of it is permit-only or 2-hour limit. Tickets are $50+ if you misread the signs. Read every sign before you park.
• Downtown core lots: cheaper than Stampede grounds, but require a 20-minute walk or a single CTrain stop. Ramsay and Inglewood area lots are sometimes available for $10 to $15.
• Deerfoot Plaza Park & Ride: free during evenings, with the CTrain to Erlton/Stampede Station running every 5 minutes from there.

What Calgary regulars actually do

The CTrain. The Erlton/Stampede Station is one block from the Saddledome's south entrance. The Victoria Park/Stampede Station is two blocks from the north entrance. Both are on the Red Line, which runs every 5 to 8 minutes during evening peak. A single Calgary Transit fare is $3.80 (2026 prices); a day pass is $11.80.

For most Calgary fans, the math is straightforward: parking $30 plus the time to get out of the lot after a game (which can be 30 to 45 minutes during high-traffic events) versus a CTrain fare of $3.80 each way and a 5-minute wait at the platform. The CTrain wins. The exits from the Saddledome funnel directly to the LRT platforms, which are designed to clear 19,000 fans efficiently.

Game-night CTrain volumes are high but the system handles them. After a Flames game, the platform fills, but trains arrive every 4 minutes after a major event, and the platform clears in about 25 minutes. For comparison, the parking-lot exit times are similar, but you also have to navigate downtown traffic getting home.

For concerts vs hockey

Concerts tend to start later (typically 7:30 or 8 pm) than hockey (typically 7 pm or 7:30 pm). Parking arrival is more spread out. Lots are typically less full at the start of a concert than they are at the start of a Flames game. If you arrive 90 minutes before showtime for a concert, you'll find parking; for hockey, 90 minutes is sometimes too late for the closest lots.

For Stampede week

During Stampede (typically July 4 to 13), Saddledome parking is essentially impossible. The Stampede attracts over a million visitors across ten days; the parking lots fill from 10 am onward. If your Saddledome event falls during Stampede week, take the CTrain. There's no other reasonable option.

Accessibility parking

The Saddledome has accessible parking on the East Lot, immediately adjacent to the accessible entrance on the building's east side. Spots are reserved for vehicles displaying valid accessibility placards. Pre-booking is recommended for high-demand events.

What changes when Scotia Place opens

Scotia Place, opening 2027, is being built immediately adjacent to the existing Saddledome on the Stampede grounds. The parking situation will be similar in geography. The Saddledome's footprint will be redeveloped after demolition, possibly including additional parking and additional event space. Expect Stampede grounds parking dynamics to remain familiar through the late 2020s.