Billings scores big as sports tourism surges in 2026

Sports tourism is a big deal in Billings, and it’s getting even bigger in 2026.

The city's winter sports season delivered record-breaking attendance and economic impact, capped by six straight weekends of major sporting events at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark, according to a new report from Visit Billings, the tourism advocacy arm of the Billings Chamber of Commerce.

Dubbed The Mighty 6, the six weeks of consecutive wrestling and basketball tournaments and championships starting in February and culminating at the end of March, drew record crowds this year. And with Signal Peak Energy Arena and Amend Recreational Center set to open — and a newly improved Daylis Stadium under construction — starting this summer 2026 is going to be a "huge year for sports," said Casey Conlon, the Visit Billings sports tourism director.

More than 63,000 fans attended The Mighty 6 sporting events at MetraPark in the last two months, a 42% increase from 2025.

“That’s a massive jump in fan attendance,” Conlon said. “I’m sure the mild winter had something to do with that, but also because wrestling events are getting bigger and more popular."

A lot of that, he said, has a lot to do with the welcoming of girls wrestling. In its fourth year as a sanctioned sport, Conlon said they continue to see female participation numbers go up every year.

Approximately 8,000 athletes and coaches were in attendance over the six events. In total, more than 71,000 people contributed an estimated $7.5 million to Billings economy through February and March.

“These six weeks go far beyond what happens on the court or the mat,” said Aly Eggart, the executive director of Visit Billings. “They represent real impact for our community, full hotels, busy restaurants and a city that comes alive when visitors are here.”

“It’s a huge chunk of economic impact for so many businesses around our city,” Conlon said. “A rising tide lifts all ships, so that’s what we can see as being a positive for Billings and that’s why we put so much emphases on sports tourism.”

Iconic Sports Venue

Conlon said people have come to know Billings as a reliable event host, and the city works hard to provide a top rate hospitality experience for all involved, so they leave wanting to come back next year.

“It’s where a lot of those iconic youth sports moments happen in the state,” Conlon said.

First held at MetraPark in 1989, the MHSA All-Class Wrestling Tournament is the longest running event of The Mighty 6 and kicks off in mid-February. It ends with the Montana Open wrestling tournament in late March, which has been running consecutively for 20 years.

In between, basketball fans get three straight weeks of tournament action with the Eastern A and Southern B divisional tournaments, as well as an MHSA State basketball event, rotated between the four high school classifications (2026 was State AA). Wrestling returns immediately after basketball with the Montana State AAU Wrestling Tournament, which returned to Billings in 2022 after a long hiatus.

“The momentum built with those six straight weeks of sports events, excitement stays high,” Conlon said.

Montana’s high school state wrestling tournament was the first “big, large-scale event that brought a lot of people to Billings on an annual, consistent basis,” Conlon said. “It’s brought in thousands of people for a long time.”

The Montana State AAU Wrestling Tournament returned to MetraPark five years ago, after outgrowing its venue in Great Falls, Conlon said, and marks the completion of The Mighty 6 for five years in a row in 2026.

“We are the biggest city in the state and the biggest venue. (We) want these to continue to be annual events,” said Conlon. “When people come for these events, we want them to say that was a first-class event and come back next year. We know we’re competing with any other event venues.”

Visit Billings not only works to promote those events to come to Billings, but offers what financial and hospitality support they can, so they come back year after year.

Conlon said Visit Billings partners with many of the groups that bring these Mighty 6 events to Billings, help offset costs in several ways, and provide hospitality rooms to feed coaches and administrator staff.

“If they have great event here, they’ll keep coming back," Conlon said. "What we can control is the hospitality effort. We want them to say, ‘We really love our weekends in Billings, because we know Billings will treat us right.' That’s our main goal with anyone who comes here.”

Ice, Ice, Billings

Visit Billings are big advocates of the soon to open Signal Peak Energy Arena ice rink and Amend Recreational Center both to open this summer, which are forecasted to significantly boost Billings sports tourism.

“I think it will be an incredible boon and gift to this community,” Conlon said.

Even after all of the hype they’ve given the two new venues, Conlon thinks “people will be absolutely amazed.”

“It’s going to be the best ice facility in a 500-mile radius, that is just going to elevate all ice sports not only in Billings but in a very large radius around here,” he said.

Yellowstone Ice Foundation is responsible for much of the planning for the new state of the art ice arena, Conlon said, and its president, Parker Phipps and secretary treasurer Alex Picicci, visited over 40 ice rinks to find the right design for Billings.

Picicci has been “a huge part of Billings hockey community for years,” Conlon said.

The ice arena has already signed a junior league team, Conlon said, and with about 30 home games for its permanent tenants alone, and with 1,500 potential spectators a game, that could mean up to 45,000 spectators all together.

Conlon said the Tourism Business Improvement District board has committed up to $1 million in a three-year period in support of Signal Peak to help with operational costs.

“We believe in the efforts they’re doing to open the facility here and believe in the positive impact it’s going to make on the community,” he said. “As a business improvement board, we’re not allowed to commit money to building costs.  What we can do is commit money to help the facility run and grow into a profitable venture — something that can sustain itself.”

Similarly, the board is supporting up to $500,000 in the same time frame for the Amend Recreational Center, which will house four full basketball courts next to each other, which can be readjusted for women’s basketball configuration, and shrink down to eight junior basketball courts, as well.

“But really, just with the 50,000 square feet of unobstructed gym space, think about the amount of user groups that can use that space for hard wood court.”

Venue capability opens up for wrestling, cheer, dance, pickleball, indoor soccer and other activities.

“We see it as filling a gap that Billings currently needs,” Conlon said. “Gym space is always an issue. A lot of groups need gym space to practice in."

Conlon said facilities like this are popular and popping up more and more across the country in many mid-size cities. Amend Recreational Center starts taking event booking on June 1.

“These will both be a shining example of what sports can do for a community. We know it’s going to do great things for the community and will bring in countless dollars," Conlon said. "2026 is going to be a huge year for sports — with those two opening, and Daylis reopening this fall — it will be a huge year for Billings sports."