CHICAGO – For the 15th time in history, PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) premier Unleash The Beast will compete in the Windy City bucking into Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, with PBR Chicago.

For two nights only, more than 30 of the best bull riders in the world will go head-to-head against the sport’s rankest bovine athletes, showcasing the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast in one of the most exciting and unpredictable live sporting events to witness.

The upcoming PBR Chicago will be one of the first events of the new individual season as riders vie for early points in the race to be crowned the 2025 PBR World Champion.

When PBR last travelled to the greater Chicago area in January 2024, Cassio Dias’ (Sao F. de Sales, Brazil) dominant rookie season continued as the reserved Brazilian went a perfect 3-for-3 to win his third Unleash The Beast event of the season, reclaiming the No. 1 rank in the feverish battle for the 2024 World Championship.

The win foreshadowed a historic season for Dias.

Holding a firm grasp on the world No. 1 rank for nearly the entire season, Dias fell just short of tying the record for most elite tour wins in a season, riding to seven Unleash The Beast victories, and was one of just three riders to compete at each of the 23 regular-season events.

At his first-ever PBR World Finals, Dias persisted through a nasty wreck in the first phase of bull riding’s most prestigious event to be crowned the 2024 PBR World Champion. With his efforts headlined by a mammoth 92.5-point ride on Ricky Vaughn (WinRock/D&H Cattle/Buck Cattle), Dias finished the World Championship and Rookie of the Year race 238.5 points ahead of No. 2 John Crimber (Decatur, Texas).

Alongside Dias, the Windy City event was also instrumental in Jess Lockwood’s (Volborg, Montana) historic push to his second World Championship in 2019.

Lockwood won the event inside Allstate Arena in 2019 – his second consecutive victory on the premier series – furthering his stronghold on the No. 1 rank and setting him on a path to becoming the youngest two-time World Champion in PBR history.

Additionally, Lockwood’s win in Chicago in 2019 made him the first rider since two-time PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney (Statesville, North Carolina) in 2007 to win the first two events of the season.

Other past Prairie State event winners include: Austin Meier (2006), Adriano Moraes (2008), Dustin Hall (2008), Robson Palermo (2011), Billy Robinson (2013), Marco Eguchi (2014), Silvano Alves (2015), Wallace Vieira de Olivera (2016), Rubens Barbosa (2017), Cooper Davis (2018), Daylon Swearingen (2020), Stetson Lawrence (2022) and Jose Vitor Leme (2023).

The bull riding action for the PBR Chicago begins with Round 1 at 7:45 p.m. CT on Friday, January 10, followed by Round 2 and the championship round at 7:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, January 11. All competing bull riders will get on one bull each in Rounds 1-2. Following Round 2 Saturday evening, the riders’ individual two-round scores will be totaled with the Top 12 advancing to the championship round for one more out and a chance at the event title.

Tickets for the two-day event go on sale Monday, September 16 at 10 a.m. CT, and start at $20, taxes and fees not included. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, Rosemont.com/allstate and PBR.com, or by calling PBR customer service at (800) 732-1727.

PBR Elite Seats are available for avid fans who want an exclusive VIP experience while enjoying the world’s top bull riding circuit. These tickets, available in three tiers, offer premium seats, personal on-site concierge at the PBR fan loyalty booth, and more. For more on elite seats, visit https://pbr.com/elite-seats-unleash-the-beast, or call 1-800-732-1727

For more information about the PBR and to see the full 2025 PBR Unleash The Beast schedule, visit PBR.com.

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media