Mariachi Invitational
Saturday, March 11, 2023
Arena Theatre
7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Annually, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Go Tejano Committee invites five professional Mariachi groups from across the State of Texas to compete in the Rodeo’s Mariachi Invitational. The five groups, whose identities remain secret during the performances, compete through two rounds before advancing to the final round in NRG Stadium. The first round, called The Showcase, is held at the Arena Theatre the day before the Semifinals, which are held in The Hideout at NRG Park on Go Tejano Day.
The first two rounds are judged by five Mariachi professionals/educators. Judges score them in several categories, including musicianship, creativity and showmanship. The two finalists compete in NRG Stadium in front of the RodeoHouston crowd of more than 70,000 people. The winner is then determined by audience applause. There are cash prizes for all participants ranging from $1,000 to a $7,500 for first place.
2023 Invitational
2022 Winners
- 1st Place: Mariachi Diamantes de Tejas – Rio Grande City, Texas
- 2nd Place: Mariachi Imperial de America – Houston
- 3rd Place: Mariachi Nuevo Royal – Alice, Texas
- 4th Place: Mariachi Celestial – Kingsville, Texas
- 5th Place: Mariachi Jaliciense – San Marcos, Texas