The big one, the PBR World Finals coming to Desert Diamond Arena

The big one, the PBR World Finals coming to Desert Diamond Arena

The first major event that stems from the Tuesday, May 12, announcement of a three-year, seven-event partnership between TKO Group Holdings and the Arizona Sports & Events Alliance is set for next year.

Professional Bull Riders, in partnership with Arizona Sports & Events Alliance, announced on Wednesday, May 13, that the "2027 PBR World Finals: Championship" will be held in Glendale at Desert Diamond Arena from May 20-23, bringing its championships to a new market as part of a long-term vision to continue to grow the sport nationwide.

Tickets will go on sale starting May 14 at 10 a.m. MST and are available at PBRWorldFinals.com/2027.

The Phoenix market already is an important one for PBR, with its Arizona Ridge Riders team rodeo franchise and Ridge Riders Days coming to Glendale in October of this year.

“Arizona is a proven championship stage," Sean Gleason, PBR CEO and commissioner, said in the announcement, "home to Super Bowls, College Football Playoff games, and the Fiesta Bowl – and a strong market for PBR, where we’ve held premier events at Desert Diamond Arena for more than a decade and where the Arizona Ridge Riders have built a passionate fan base since becoming one of the league’s founding teams in 2022.

“Bringing our championship weekend to Glendale puts our sport on that same world-class platform."

PBR World Finals had been held in Las Vegas from 1994 until 2021. In 2022, the championship moved to Texas, home to the organization’s headquarters in Fort Worth.

The opening rounds of the 2027 World Finals will be held on May 6-9 at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth prior to championship weekend in Glendale.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Desert Diamond Arena to host PBR World Finals in 2027