When you’re at NRG Stadium, singing along with 74,000 fellow fans as your favorite artist takes the rotating stage at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, you’re probably not thinking about how that moment came to be. But somewhere in the background, Brittany Cooke is already planning next year’s musical magic. As director of entertainment and concert production, she’s the mastermind who orchestrates each year’s star-studded lineup, turning 20 nights into unforgettable Houston memories. After a decade of booking everyone from George Strait to Alan Jackson, from Cardi B to Luke Bryan, she’s got stories to tell – and today, she’s giving us a rare peek behind the curtain at how RODEOHOUSTON’s concert calendar really comes together.
How do you pick the artists for the lineup?
Brittany Cooke: There’s a lot of research that goes behind it. We take into consideration what comes back on surveys from both the public and ticket buyers that have come here before.
Then another part is industry trends. You want to go after every big-name artist, but we’re also who we are, and we don’t have the budget to have every big artist each night.
It’s also important to us to get artists while they’re up and coming before they make it big. We always try to have a handful of the ones that will eventually take off, particularly the summer after our show. It’s fun to hear; oh, my goodness, I saw them at the Rodeo! And they kick off their tour at our event.
Looking at their tour dates is also an essential part of the equation. We work hand in hand with booking agents, and sometimes we can work something out. If it’s someone we want to work with, we ask them if that date can be moved or if they can push it to the fall. Or if there is a way, we could work ourselves into their tour. It’s very much a part of the conversation. Luckily, we’re in the first quarter of the year. Most tours don’t start until April. A lot of the time, they’re in the studio in the first quarter, so we have to see if they’ll be willing to come out of the studio as well.
What is your biggest hurdle when trying to book entertainment?
Cooke: Probably scheduling and money. I mean, it’s always those two things, because our dates don’t change. I’m not booking a regular stadium where I can make any date in June work but it’s also a set 20 days trying to put the puzzle pieces together. Another consideration is that we focus on family-friendly pricing, which can be much less than some of the stadium acts generally sell for.
How far in advance do you start planning who you want to invite, and then how far in advance do you start booking them?
Cooke: At least a year out! I mean, it’s getting pushed every single year. I already have offers out for 2026. So, if I want a chance to get on their schedule, or get ahead of them setting a tour schedule, we have to look at least one year out. The money is now in touring. It’s not about radio plays as much as it used to be, it’s about going on tour.
So realistically, how long does it take to lock in all 20?
Cooke: On average, I would say, a good six months. I’ve already started for 2026, but I won’t really push hard and dive into it until about April after our Rodeo. And I we always try to be done, have everything finalized by Thanksgiving. But now with everything changing in the industry, we’re trying to push it to September, just so we can be done faster and have more time on the back end.
Do you have backups in place?
Cooke: I mean, there’s always a chance someone’s going to have a scheduling conflict. We always have a couple in the back of our minds. We know there are some artists we can call on because we have a great relationship with them, and they put on a great show. We want to keep our variety because I think diversity is important. But that can be tricky if you have three days to figure it out.
What was the fastest turnaround you’ve had?
Cooke: Our quickest turnaround was when someone pulled out the Saturday before Opening Day. So, we figured that out pretty quickly. That’s how we got Cody Johnson the first time. It worked out perfectly.
Is it hard to watch the public weigh in after a lineup announcement?
Cooke: People have strong opinions about our lineup (Brittany laughs) …but they don’t always understand the process. It’s not like we didn’t try our best; we try every year for all those popular artists but as I mentioned before, there’s just so many other factors that go to it such as timing, pricing and what our organization stands for. We hope the community sees that and recognizes we are doing our best to offer a variety of entertainment each and every year.
Do you get scared or nervous when you’re taking a new approach in booking or try and book a new genre?
Cooke: Of course! There are always a handful of artists we take a chance on and it’s hard not to get invested, because you want them to do really well. But I think it’s also human nature. I’m looking at the schedule now and I’m thinking there’s probably two or three I’m a little nervous about, but I think they’ll do fine at the end of the day. In the end it’s great to try new things and change is inevitable. We have seen that the community embraces it too.
What’s the nicest thing an artist has ever said to you or during their show?
Cooke: I think hearing them say how much they love playing our show is always nice to hear. For King + Country gave us a personal name shoutout from the stage and said, ‘thank you so much for everything that you’ve done’. That was so nice. We had no idea they actually even knew how much work we all actually put into it.
But overall, it’s the artists that come in, are humble and nice to everyone on our staff are the ones that make the biggest impression. I was pregnant the year Garth Brooks came to Rodeo. I was carrying a table down the hallway, and he stopped, popped out of the golf cart, and carried it for me. That’s just so nice and I will never forget it! They’re human too.
How do you feel about the guess the lineup contest? Were you surprised last year when the winner did so well?
Cooke: Yeah! But I was also happy that when they do guess who I’ve booked means I’m not far off from what people want.
How do you feel about this year’s lineup?
Cooke: I’m excited about it. I mean, the week before we announce, I’ll be nervous about it, just because everyone’s going to have their opinion about what we should have done differently, or how they would have done it better.
This lineup has something for everyone. We have some new artists, old favorites, and then different genres kind of cover the entire city. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish each year.
The Entertainer Lineup for the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will be announced the evening of January 9, 2025. Think you know who is coming to town? Submit your guesses by January 5, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. for a chance to win an all-inclusive, 18-person suite for one 2025 RODEOHOUSTON performance, thanks to Cotton Holdings, Inc. Click here to guess.