Cowboys Park

Cowboys Park

Cowboys Park is located in the vibrant Downtown West neighbourhood and is Calgary’s largest multi-use community, special event and music festival site. The park also features Canada’s largest outdoor skatepark, basketball and beach volleyball courts (first come, first served), and climbing boulders. Diverse events and festivals help to make Calgary a vibrant place to live and an attractive city to visit. Improvements to Cowboys Park helped create a plug-and-play location for festivals and events, supporting more events and attracting more visitors and businesses to the park year-round. 

Free Pickleball Pilot Coming to Cowboys Park

Beginning in mid-September 2026, The City will launch a free pickleball pilot at Cowboys Park to support year-round recreation opportunities for the community. Four courts will be available on a first come, first served basis, with portable nets, paddles and balls provided through a public play bin near the courts. To access the PlayBin click here and fill in the required information. Once you submit your information an access code for the combination lock will be sent to the email address you provided. If you do not have access to an email account, please contact 311 for assistance. The pilot is expected to run for up to 12 months while The City monitors usage, noise levels and community feedback. Residents can share feedback by contacting 311.

About the park

Cowboys Park is the largest skate park in North America for skateboarding and in-line skating with 75,000 square feet of skateable surfaces. It was designated as both an activity park and special event venue, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors each year.  Today, it is also home to one of the city’s most popular events, Cowboys Music Festival.​​​​

Cowboys Park operates under a sponsorship agreement that supports park improvements and helps bring more events and activities to the space. This partnership supports a vibrant, active downtown park while maintaining public access for Calgarians to enjoy year-round.

Report
Presentation

Address: 1220 9 Ave. S.W.

Area: 7 hectares, 75,000 sq. ft. of skateable surface

Skate park hours: open 24 hours
Surrounding park hours: 5 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Ongoing improvements

In 2025, The City began work to transform Cowboys Park into a more modern and multi-functional event space in Calgary’s downtown. With the Olympic Plaza Transformation underway, this work helped make Cowboys Park a more versatile space for Calgarians to use and enjoy, while replenishing The City’s portfolio of accessible, flexible event spaces.

Phase 1 improvements included utilities (stormwater, sanitary and potable water), electrical infrastructure, and two hardened surfaces as outlined in the sponsorship agreement. These upgrades improved event set up, tear down and site servicing, and better accommodated Calgarians with mobility considerations. The improved surfaces also support a range of uses, including farmers’ and holiday markets, hard-surface sport and recreation, food festivals, and more.

Phase 2 improvements planned for 2026 and beyond were informed by community feedback shared through public engagement completed in May 2025.

Rendering of the 2025 planned improvements to Cowboys park.

Download the 2025 planned improvement rendering
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Park features

Climbing Boulders

Climbing has seen a dramatic rise in popularity over the last few years and has even become an Olympic sport. Cowboys Park is now home to three climbing boulders, known as The Three Little Brothers - Big Brother, Middle Brother and Little Brother.

These new climbing boulders are an aesthetic piece of landscape architecture that allow both new and experienced climbers the opportunity to boulder outdoors on natural rock.

Please note: For your safety and enjoyment please read the permanent safety advisories, which are also installed on-site. Make sure to read all safety instructions before using the bouldering area.

  • Skatepark
  • Landmark building
  • Basketball courts
  • Beach volleyball courts (first come, first served)
  • Updated signage

Artist's rendering of how the park may be used:

Public parks, pathways, skateparks and greenspaces are available for booking.

Book a park

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is part of the park closed during events?

Large festivals require space for staging, safety and operations. The City works to balance event needs with public use by minimizing closures where possible and reopening areas as quickly as possible after events. 

Is the park still open to the public?

Yes. Outside of scheduled events and construction, Cowboys Park remains open for public use. 

Why does Cowboys have exclusive use of part of the park?

The agreement includes dedicated event space for the Cowboys Music Festival as part of a Council-approved naming and sponsorship agreement. These types of agreements are business arrangements and are not subject to public input.

Who decides what events happen in the park?

All events must go through The City’s approvals process. The Interdepartmental Event Team works across City services to review and coordinate events to ensure they meet safety and operational requirements.

What is being done to reduce impacts on skatepark users?

The City is working to balance the needs of different park users. Where possible, portions of the skatepark remain open during events, and reopening is prioritized once events are complete. 

Why are there noise concerns and what’s changed?

Noise exemption hours were adjusted for 2026 based on community feedback. Weeknight events now end earlier (midnight), while weekend hours remain unchanged. 

Who pays for events and any damage caused?

Event organizers are responsible for the costs of their events, including any additional City support or repairs required. 

Are taxpayers paying for park upgrades?

Many upgrades, including event-support infrastructure, are funded through the ten‑year sponsorship agreement with Cowboys. 

Why isn’t the full agreement public?

The agreement includes confidentiality provisions, which require consent from all parties before it can be released. The City continues to share publicly available information and the benefits of the partnership.

What’s the benefit of this project for Calgarians?

The project supports Calgary’s Downtown Strategy by increasing year-round activity, improving infrastructure and creating a more accessible and welcoming public space.