The success of RodeoHouston is in the numbers. This year, women headlined some of the most popular nights.
This year’s lineup features only four female performers: Lizzo, Megan Moroney, Kelly Clarkson and Lainey Wilson. All four drew around 70,000 viewers, with the likes of Luke Bryan, J Balvin and Shaboozey outnumbering the crowd.
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Wilson performed to a crowd of 70,130 on Thursday night, leaving him less than 600 behind Forrest Frank in total viewers so far. Her 2024 debut drew nearly 75,000 viewers, the largest audience for a country show that year.
Lainey Wilson performs during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Houston. (Jason Folkman/Houston Chronicle)
This year, she entered the arena sitting on the tailgate of a pickup truck, softly strumming her guitar. It was a smart move that created excitement as he approached the stage. Wilson looked every bit the country diva in a metallic blue and gold western-style fringed jumpsuit and a black cowboy hat.
The new song “Can’t Sit Still” just released last week kicked off the brisk and high-energy performance. Wilson kept the mood lively with “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” and “4x4xU,” constantly jumping and running around the stage. “Hang Tight Honey” is raucous and fun, and is the best of the many uptempo songs that ultimately work together.
Wilson is a confident, capable performer. During “Attagirl’s” performance, she briefly walked off the stage, selected a young fan in the chute seat to be the “cowgirl for the night,” and presented her with a cowboy hat. But what’s missing is some wear around the edges. She talks a lot between songs, but that’s the usual canned generalization about Texas and singing with her.
Lainey Wilson performs during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Houston. (Jason Folkman/Houston Chronicle)
Slower moments break the sheen. “Dreamcatcher” is a welcome reprieve from the bombast of uptempo songs. “Watermelon Moonshine” remains one of her finest moments, a sweet riff on Deana Carter’s ’90s classic “Strawberry Wine.” Wilson became one of the stars of the stage with “Somewhere Over Laredo,” which interpolated the melody of “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz.”
Two of her hits, “Things Men Should Know” and “Heart Like a Truck,” sang along to the eager crowd. Wilson ended the night by trading his tailgate for a saddle and riding out of the stadium.
Attention, Houston Rodeo. It’s no longer just about representation. Women are bringing the numbers.
Lenny Wilson Rodeo Houston Track List
“Can’t sit still”
“Wild Flowers and Wild Horses”
“4x4xU”
“Smells like smoke”
“dream Catcher”
“Watermelon Moonlight”
“Honey, hold on”
“Somewhere Over Laredo”
“Ata Girl”
“Good Horse”
“Things Men Should Know”
“Heart Like a Truck”
This article was originally published on Lainey Wilson is fourth woman to captivate Houston Rodeo crowd of approximately 70,000 this year.