Quebecor’s Freedom Mobile announced Wednesday it has signed a multi-year agreement to be the presenting sponsor of the Calgary Stampede’s nightly Grandstand Show.
Running all 10 nights of the Stampede from July 4-13, this year’s Grandstand Show will be headlined by Albertan country music singer-songwriter Carolyn Dawn Johnson, a 17-time Canadian Country Music Award winner. The show will also feature performers from the Young Canadians School of Performing Arts and the Grandstand Band, along with jaw-dropping stunt acts, a pyrotechnic display, a new drone show and the Stampede’s signature nightly fireworks finale.
“We are extremely proud to announce this partnership with the Calgary Stampede, which further strengthens Freedom Mobile’s growing presence in Alberta,” Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Freedom Mobile parent company Quebecor, said in a press release. “The Grandstand Show is an iconic celebration that brings communities together through unforgettable entertainment. We share the Stampede’s vision of delivering exceptional experiences, and through this partnership, we are demonstrating our commitment to being an active contributor to the vibrant community life where our customers live, work and play.”
With its investment in the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show, Freedom Mobile also becomes one of the Stampede’s Champion-level sponsors, committing to support the growth and future of the annual cultural celebration.
“We’re incredibly proud to welcome Freedom Mobile into the Stampede family,” said Theresa Howland, executive vice-president of brand, market development and employee services at the Calgary Stampede. “This partnership represents a shared commitment to celebrating Western heritage and building community through unforgettable experiences.”
Freedom Mobile said its sponsorship of the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show joins its other significant community initiatives, such as Freedom’s multi-year partnership with Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition to create the Freedom Mobile Arch, an outdoor amphitheatre set to open in 2026.
As part of its push into Western Canada since being acquired by Quebecor in April 2023, Freedom Mobile has expanded along with Quebecor’s other telecom brands Videotron and Fizz to now serve more than four million mobile customers combined across five provinces. In total, the combined wireless brands have nearly 1,300 retail locations across Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and B.C., Freedom said.
Image borrowed from the Calgary Stampede’s website
