When the wind howls and the bulls charge — Chicago braces for a pre-Christmas showdown
Fans can catch all the action on Paramount+ on Friday and Saturday December 19–20.
By James Phillips | COO & Co-Founder, Midwest Outdoors Adaptability Foundation
It’s the Friday before Christmas, and while much of Chicago is counting down the days until the holidays, PBR is bringing something far louder, faster and more intense to the Windy City and to fans on Paramount+.
Stop No. 2 of the 2026 PBR Unleash the Beast Series—presented by Moto Casino—storms into the United Center on December 19–20, transforming one of the most iconic arenas in sports into the epicenter of grit, adrenaline and world-class competition. For two nights, the best bull riders in the world will go head to head with the rankest bulls in the sport, where eight seconds can define seasons, careers and championship dreams.
This is elite individual competition at its highest level, set inside one of America’s great sports cities just days before Christmas.
Event Schedule • Friday, December 19 — 7:45 p.m. CT • Saturday, December 20 — 6:45 p.m. CT United Center | Chicago, Illinois
Tickets and Event Details
For ticket and event details, including pricing and availability, click HERE.
Can’t Attend in Person?
If you’re unable to be there live but still want to catch every moment of the action, you can watch on Paramount+ — Friday at 8 p.m. ET and Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
What to Watch For: Why May Already Matters
This is only Stop No. 2 of the Unleash the Beast season, so why does the conversation already feel centered on Dickies Arena in May?
Because this year’s schedule demands it.
The 2026 Unleash the Beast season stands as one of the most condensed standalone individual championship schedules in PBR history. Opportunities are limited, margins are thin, and the luxury of time simply does not exist. Riders don’t have weeks to find their rhythm or events to give away — every performance carries immediate and lasting consequences.
That reality places added weight on nights like these in Chicago. Every score matters, and they matter more than ever before.
One of the central storylines heading into the Windy City revolves around Dalton Kasel.
The runner-up in the 2025 World Championship race proved in Manchester he’s right where he belongs — on top. He won the season opener with three qualified rides, leading after the second round and sealing the victory with an 89.5-point walk-off in the Championship Round to win PBR Manchester by 0.9 points.
After building momentum last week in Manchester, the question now becomes whether he can carry that same form into Chicago and walk away with a second straight victory to open the 2026 season.
At the same time, Unleash the Beast is unforgiving by design. A single weekend can reshape the standings, and Chicago presents a prime opportunity for another contender to capitalize, close gaps and gain ground as the calendar turns toward January.
What unfolds inside the United Center won’t just decide who wins Chicago. It will help determine who is prepared to handle the urgency of a shortened championship race and who is already taking the right steps toward the ultimate stage at Dickies Arena.
Matchups to Watch in Round 1
Friday night’s opening round features several matchups worth circling immediately.
Clay Guiton draws I’m a Hostage, a matchup with real round-placing potential.
Seven-time PRCA World Champion Sage Kimzey matches up with Diablo, while Brady Fielder, one of the most complete riders in the sport today, takes on Six Ways to Sunday.
After a standout Teams season that saw him finish second in the MVP race, Thiago Salgado draws Milestone.
The 2024 PBR World Champion Cassio Dias returns to action against Margin of Error, a pairing that could deliver fireworks.
Julio Cesar Marques, coming off a strong performance in Manchester, faces Lap Dancer, while Paulo Eduardo Rossetto, a rare ambidextrous rider who went 3-for-3 last weekend, draws Nitty Gritty.
And Dalton Kasel opens the weekend against Muss Bus, continuing what could already be a defining stretch of his early-season campaign.
With this much talent in the field, Round 1 could produce 21 or 22 qualified rides — or far fewer.
Only time will tell.
Take a deep breath. Grit your teeth. And hold on tight.
Beyond the Dirt: Why This Sport Gives Back
What happens beyond the dirt is just as meaningful as what unfolds inside the arena.
The Midwest Outdoors Adaptability Foundation exists to ensure civilians with mobility challenges are not left behind due to limited resources. While many organizations rightly serve military members and their families, this foundation was created to help fill the gap for civilians through faith, community and action.
That mission became reality with support from across the bull riding and rodeo world, including Cody Custer, a founding member of PBR, along with stock contractors Gene Baker and Bill Truax, and countless riders, arena crews and dirt crews. Together, they helped provide an all-terrain Action Trackchair to Michael LaRosa, restoring his freedom to experience the outdoors.
The foundation’s work continues, putting lives back on track one chair at a time.
