Alberta's High Valley headlines the 2026 Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show. Photo supplied to Postmedia Calgary by Steph Montani Photo by STEPH MONTANI

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The 2026 Grandstand Show is an explosion of colour, music and dance, interspersed with fireworks and specialty acts that never cease to dazzle.

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The opening number, Rhythm is a Dancer, features the Young Canadians. Angela Benson, who choreographed the number, cleverly has groups of the 118 youngsters appear, so that the final number really is amazing — especially given how synchronized the choreography is.

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There are fireworks during this number, and these youngsters keep up with the pyrotechnics display, dazzling as much on stage as the fireworks do in the sky.

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This big production is followed by the intimate acrobatics of Tobias Wolfgang and Vanessa Martinez, who hail from Argentina and call themselves Duo Soma. He has amazing strength in his arms, balancing her in his hand. She later climbs a pole, which he balances on his shoulder. The climax of their act has her spinning by her hair on the top on the pole, which he spins attached to a belt he is wearing.

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It is an astonishing feat.

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Once again, the stage is awash with sound and colour as the Young Canadians join Irish social media superstars The Gardiner Brothers, Michael and Matthew, who tap their way through snippets of pop tunes before being joined by the Young Canadians for Blue Suede Shoes. It’s impressive, but the jumbotrons should have concentrated more on the Gardiners’ feet, because this is where the real action is taking place.

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The stage gives way to a truck entering from stage right, with High Valley’s Brad Rempel sitting on bales of hay. Now the jumbotrons know where to focus, as he sings Make You Mine, Grew Up on That, She’s With Me and especially Young Forever, which he easily got the audience to sing along to.

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High Valley is followed by the drone show in the sky above the stage, changing shapes to Ghost Riders in the Sky.

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Things get intimate again for the Bello Sisters, three extremely agile young women from Italy. It’s almost painful to watch as they contort their bodies to balance one another in tiny pyramids they create. You could hear the audience gasp with each new configuration.

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Benson, who also stages these Grandstand shows, choreographs the scene changes. There is always something to watch even during setups, and her technical crew removes everything quickly and effortlessly.

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Following the Bella Sisters was a brother act from Guinea called The Sylla Brothers, and their Wheel of Death. It’s heart pounding to watch as they run inside their wheels, but when one of the brothers starts running and somersaulting on top of the wheel, it becomes almost heart stopping.

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The show ends with all the special guests joining the Young Canadians for Can’t Stop this Feeling, with fireworks filling the sky.

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