Country Star Cody Johnson broke a RODEOHOUSTON record delivering the largest concert in NRG Stadium history, surpassing the King himself, George Strait.
It was already a big closing night in Houston. RODEOHOUSTON had just wrapped up. New champions were crowned, and records were broken in the arena and in the livestock sale ring. But before the end of the night, it became even more historic with a record breaking concert too.
Country music star Cody Johnson closed out the 94th Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with a performance that didn’t just cap the event, it reset the record books.
Johnson drew a crowd of 80,203 fans inside NRG Stadium, setting the largest concert attendance in the venue’s history and surpassing the previous mark held by George Strait, who brought in 80,020 in 2013. Cody’s only the second artist to play a concert-only event at RODEOHOUSTON. Strait is the other.
Johnson shared just how much the night meant to him on his social media saying, “Tonight is the most incredible night in my career, so far. You guys and myself have sold out the Rodeo. It’s the largest crowd ever in NRG Stadium and Houston Rodeo’s history, so thank you!”
Throughout the night, Johnson brought out some surprise guests, some of music's biggest names, Carrie Underwood and Carín León.
Johnson has built a long-standing relationship with that RODEOHOUSTON stage. He has performed multiple times there over the years beginning in 2017.
In 2019, Cody Johnson released his single titled “Welcome to the Show.” That song is the official theme song of RODEOHOUSTON.
This performance felt like a full circle moment. At one point during the show, Johnson paused to reflect on his journey, sharing how he had been told early on that his style, his look, and his sound wouldn’t work outside of Texas music. That the cowboy hat belonged there and nowhere else. Now, he’s proving otherwise.
"Dreams don't work unless you do," Cody shared on stage.
With his Live 26 Tour already selling out shows quickly, Johnson has taken that same Texas sound worldwide without changing who he is at all.
This was not just a sold out show but a record breaking one. One that placed him alongside, and now just ahead of, the King of Country Music himself. For a Texas artist who built his career one show, and one hit song at a time, there may not have been a more fitting place to do it.