The Poway Rodeo is dropping cash in 2026. For the first time, the annual two-day event at the Poway Valley Riders Association Arena will operate on a cashless ticketing and entry system, a policy the rodeo says will continue in future years.

The rodeo runs Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26, at 14336 Tierra Bonita Road in Poway. Tickets are available only through PowayRodeo.com, and organizers warn against buying from any other seller, calling the site the only approved outlet.

Individual food and merchandise vendors on the grounds may still accept cash at their own discretion, but the rodeo itself will not.

What it costs

General admission for the Friday evening and Saturday evening performances is $35. Children under five get in free. The Saturday 1 p.m. show is the annual Kids Buck Day, with adult general admission at $20 and children's tickets at $1.

Preferred seating near the bucking chutes runs $40 for evening shows and $30 for the Saturday afternoon performance. VIP tickets, which include a chef-catered meal, a selfie photo booth, a private restroom and bar access, are $120 for evening performances and $55 for the Saturday afternoon show.

A Kids Corral package for the Saturday 1 p.m. performance costs $55 per ticket. It includes a reserved, fenced area near the chutes with a kid-friendly lunch, face painting, a photo booth and a personal visit from Rodeo Royalty and Rodeo Personalities. The rodeo notes those tickets sell out every year.

Box seats along the arena's south fence, with a private table, dinner and one beverage, are $130 per person for the evening shows.

The schedule

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Friday with vendors and food. The rodeo performance starts at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday is a full day. Sam's Posse, a nonprofit that creates accessible activities and play spaces for individuals of all abilities, hosts its Round-Up Rodeo beginning at 9:30 a.m. Gates reopen at 11:30 a.m. ahead of the 1 p.m. Kids Buck Day show. The evening gates open again at 5:30 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. performance.

An after party follows both evening performances, running 10 p.m. to midnight with no cover charge. It is a 21-and-older event requiring a valid ID.

Entry rules

All attendees will be scanned at entry. No glass, pocket knives or weapons are allowed on the grounds. General admission is open bleacher seating with no assigned spots, so the rodeo advises arriving early.

Tickets start at $16 at PowayRodeo.com, the rodeo's only authorized seller.