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PBR Announces 2023 Competition Schedule for Elite Unleash The Beast and Expansion Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour

PBR to celebrate 30th anniversary season by visiting more than 50 cities across 35 states, culminating with the 2023 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast May 12-21 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas

PUEBLO, Colo. (September 29, 2022) – The PBR (Professional Bull Riders) today announced its 2023 competition schedule for the elite Unleash The Beast and expansion Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour, with the organization set to bring the world’s best bull riders and bovine athletes to more than 50 cities across 35 states as the PBR readies to embark on its 30th anniversary season.

 

During the 2023 season, the PBR will celebrate its 30th anniversary since 20 cowboys broke away from the traditional rodeo with the belief that bull riding could be a standalone sport. Since their trailblazing initiative, the PBR has grown into a global phenomenon awarding nearly $300 million in prize money.

 

Throughout the seven-month individual season, the premier Unleash The Beast will hold 24 events, travelling to the likes of New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, while the expansion Velocity Tour will hold 26 events, returning to fan-favorite destinations spanning coast-to-coast such as Lexington, Kentucky, Portland, Oregon, Bangor, Maine, Greenville, South Carolina, and Fresno, California. 

 

The 2023 season will culminate with the return of the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals to the iconic Buc Days western lifestyle festival in Corpus Christi, Texas, on May 5-6, followed by the 2023 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast held from May 12-21 in Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena. The opening three rounds of competition will be held May 12-14, followed by Rounds 4-7 and the championship round from May 18-21 when the 2023 PBR World Champion will be crowned, earning the coveted gold buckle and $1 million bonus.

The 2023 PBR Unleash The Beast campaign will begin Nov. 26-27, 2022 in Tucson, Arizona at the Tucson Arena. The season-launch tour stop will mark the first time the PBR’s premier tour has stopped in Tucson in more than six years.

 

Following subsequent two-day events in St. Louis, Missouri (Dec. 3-4), Minneapolis, Minnesota (Dec. 9-10), Manchester, New Hampshire (Dec. 17-18) and Albany, New York (Dec. 29-30), the elite Unleash The Beast will return to Madison Square Garden in New York City for the 16th time. The PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden, presented by Ariat, will offer riders both increased points and prize money as they compete through the grueling three-day tour stop inside the World’s Most Famous Arena®. 

 

As the season continues, following returns to fan-favorite cities including Sacramento, California (Feb. 3-5) and Tulsa, Oklahoma (Feb. 10-11), PBR will bring a one-day, winner-take-all event to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 18. The elite Unleash The Beast will follow that with its return to Los Angeles, taking over Crypto.com Arena Feb. 25-26.

 

In mid-March, PBR’s premier series will return to New Orleans for the first time in more than a decade, bucking into Smoothie King Center March 17-18.

 

The tour will then turn its focus to the Western United States, travelling to New Mexico, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, and Washington, which will again host the mid-week event in Everett (April 19-20), followed by weekend tour stop in nearby Tacoma (April 22-23).

 

The regular-season for the 2023 PBR Unleash The Beast will come to a climactic end outdoors April 28-30 in Ridgedale, Missouri, when the premier series debuts at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena.

 

The PBR’s crown jewel, the 2023 PBR World Finals, will return to Fort Worth for the second consecutive season, again featuring eight rounds of competition spread across two weekends, May 12-21, at Dickies Arena.

2023 PBR UNLEASH THE BEAST SCHEDULE

 

Date                                  City, State                                                     Venue

Nov. 26-27                        Tucson, Arizona                                           Tucson Arena

Dec. 3-4                             St. Louis, Missouri                                       Enterprise Center

Dec. 9-10                          Minneapolis, Minnesota                             Target Center

Dec. 17-18                        Manchester, New Hampshire                     SNHU Arena

Dec. 29-30                        Albany, New York                                         MVP Arena

Jan. 6-8                             New York, New York                                     Madison Square Garden

Jan. 13-14                         Chicago, Illinois                                            Allstate Arena

Jan. 21-22                         Duluth, Georgia                                            Gas South Arena

Jan. 28-29                         Indianapolis, Indiana                                  Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Feb. 3-5                             Sacramento, California                               Golden 1 Center

Feb. 10-11                        Tulsa, Oklahoma                                           BOK Center

Feb. 18                              Arlington, Texas                                            AT&T Stadium

Feb. 25-26                        Los Angeles, California                                Crypto.com Arena

March 3-4                         Little Rock, Arkansas                                   Simmons Bank Arena

March 11-12                    Milwaukee, Wisconsin                                 Fiserv Forum

March 17-18                    New Orleans, Louisiana                               Smoothie King Center

March 24-26                    Albuquerque, New Mexico                          The Pit

March 31-April 2            Sioux Falls, South Dakota                           Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

April 7-8                           Nampa, Idaho                                                Ford Idaho Center

April 14-16                      Billings, Montana                                          MetraPark

April 19-20                      Everett, Washington                                     Angel of the Winds Arena

April 22-23                      Tacoma, Washington                                    Tacoma Dome

April 28-30                      Ridgedale, Missouri                                      Thunder Ridge Nature Arena

*May 12-14                     Fort Worth, Texas                                           Dickies Arena                 

*May 18-21                     Fort Worth, Texas                                           Dickies Arena

 

*Denotes the 2023 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast. Rounds 1-3 of competition will be held May 12-14, while Rounds 4-7 and the Championship Round will take place May 18-21.

The 2023 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour season will be headlined by nine double-up event weekends, including the tour’s season-launch weekend when it will hold events in Lexington, Kentucky (Jan. 6-7) and Portland, Oregon (Jan. 7).

 

Following the series’ opening weekend of competition, the Velocity Tour will return to the iconic National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado, holding one of its two three-day events Jan. 9-11.

 

To conclude the intense slate of January events, the Velocity Tour will hold back-to-back double-up shows, travelling to Charleston, West Virginia (Jan. 13-14) and Spokane, Washington (Jan. 14) concurrently, followed by simultaneous events in Greenville, South Carolina (Jan. 20-21) and Reno, Nevada (Jan. 20-21).

 

January’s Velocity Tour schedule will conclude with one of the series’ most tenured events, returning to Grand Rapids for the seventh time in history Jan. 27-28.

 

Throughout February, the Velocity Tour will bring events to eight cities across seven states including South Carolina, California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

 

On Feb. 10-11, the PBR will debut in Palm Springs, California, as one the initial events to be held in the newly opened Acrisure Arena.

 

In the final two months of the season, Bangor, Maine, will welcome the Velocity Tour for the final three-day event of the season, March 10-12 at Cross Insurance Center, before College Station, Texas hosts the final regular-season event of 2023 on April 28-29 at Reed Arena.

 

For the second consecutive year, the prestigious PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals will be held in Corpus Christi, Texas, launching the well-know Buc Days western lifestyle festival. Riders will be vying for the title of 2023 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Champion with five spots also on the line to qualify for the 2023 PBR World Finals.

2023 PBR PENDLETON WHISKY VELOCITY TOUR SCHEDULE

 

Date                                  City, State                                                     Venue

Jan. 6-7                             Lexington, Kentucky                                    Rupp Arena

Jan. 7                                 Portland, Oregon                                          Moda Center

Jan. 9-11                           Denver, Colorado                                          National Western Stock Show

Jan. 13-14                         Charleston, West Virginia                           Charleston Coliseum

Jan. 14                               Spokane, Washington                                  Spokane Arena

Jan. 20-21                         Greenville, South Carolina                         Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Jan. 20-21                         Reno, Nevada                                                Reno Events Center

Jan. 27-28                         Grand Rapids, Michigan                              Van Andel Arena

Feb. 3-4                             North Charleston, South Carolina            North Charleston Coliseum     

Feb. 4                                Bakersfield, California                                  Mechanics Bank Arena

Feb. 10-11                        Reading, Pennsylvania                                 Santander Arena

Feb. 10-11                        Palm Springs, California                              Acrisure Arena

Feb. 17-18                        Cedar Park, Texas                                          HEB Center

Feb. 18                              Memphis, Tennessee                                    FedExForum

Feb. 25                              Worcester, Massachusetts                           DCU Center

Feb. 25                              Hampton, Virginia                                        Hampton Coliseum

March 4                            Knoxville, Tennessee                                    Thompson-Boling Arena

March 10-12                    Bangor, Maine                                                Cross Insurance Center

March 11                          Dayton, Ohio                                                  Nutter Center

March 17-18                    Wheeling, West Virginia                              WesBanco Arena

March 18-19                    Fresno, California                                          Save Mart Center

March 25                          Oakland, California                                       Oracle Arena

April 1                               Casper, Wyoming                                           Ford Wyoming Center

April 15                             Grand Forks, North Dakota                         Alerus Center

April 22                             Wichita, Kansas                                             INTRUST Bank Arena

April 28-29                        College Station, Texas                                 Reed Arena

*May 5-6                           Corpus Christi, Texas                                    American Bank Center

 

*Denotes the 2023 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals to be held in tandem with the iconic Buc Days festival.

 

For more information about the PBR and the 2023 PBR Unleash The Beast and Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour schedules, or to purchase tickets, visit PBR.com

About PBR (Professional Bull Riders):

PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 500 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. In 2022, PBR launched the PBR Team Series—eight teams of the world’s best bull riders competing for a new championship—as well as the PBR Challenger Series with more than 60 annual events nationwide. The organization’s digital assets include PBR RidePass on Pluto TV, which is home to Western sports. PBR is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.

About the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour:

The PBR’s Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT) began in 2014 as the premier expansion tour for the PBR. The Velocity Tour, the sport’s fastest-growing tour, brings the excitement and top-levels of cowboy and bovine talent that fans have come to expect from the sport to cities across the United States. The PWVT is proudly supported by Pendleton Whisky, Audacious Wreck Relief, Boot Barn, Cooper Tires, Fram-Autolite, Kubota, Rank 45, South Point Hotel & Casino, TicketSmarter, Tractor Supply, Union Home Mortgage, the United States Border Patrol, and Zip Recruiter.  Every Velocity Tour event is carried on PBR RidePass on Pluto TV, PBR’s flagship digital network.