The 2026 CFL season opened with three games from June 4 to June 6. Hamilton drew the largest crowd at 18,577. The three games averaged about 17,119 fans. BC, Toronto, and Saskatchewan were on bye.
Week 1 Attendance by Game
Matchup | Stadium | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
Montreal at Hamilton | Tim Hortons Field | 18,577 |
Winnipeg at Calgary | McMahon Stadium | 17,743 |
Edmonton at Ottawa | TD Place | 15,038 |
Week 1 average | ~17,119 |
Hamilton posted the top gate of the weekend. Montreal beat the Tiger-Cats 30-27 in overtime in the season opener on June 4. Attendance figures come from @CFLAttendance on X.
Calgary drew 17,743 for its home opener. Winnipeg won 30-28 on June 5.
Ottawa had the smallest crowd at 15,038. Edmonton won on June 6 at TD Place.
How Week 1 Compares to 2025
The 2025 CFL regular season averaged about 22,950 fans per game. Week 1 of 2026 came in below that mark, which is common for early-season dates and a three-game slate without the league's top draws.
Here are the 2025 team averages, per @CFLAttendance:
Team | 2025 Average |
|---|---|
Winnipeg | 32,343 |
Saskatchewan | 28,427 |
BC | 27,124 |
Hamilton | 22,858 |
Calgary | 22,295 |
Montreal | 21,132 |
Edmonton | 19,050 |
Ottawa | 18,136 |
Toronto | 15,109 |
Winnipeg sold out all nine home games in 2025 at 32,343 per game. Saskatchewan and BC ranked second and third. Toronto had the lowest average. None of those four top markets hosted in Week 1.
League Context
CFL attendance rose 0.6 percent league-wide in 2025 over 2024. That marked the fourth straight year of increases and a return to pre-pandemic levels. Hamilton, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Saskatchewan posted the largest year-over-year gains. Edmonton and Ottawa saw the largest drops.
Attendance figures are self-reported by each team and are not independently verified.
Week 2 Outlook
Week 2 brings stronger draws. Hamilton visits Winnipeg on June 11, Toronto plays at Montreal on June 12, and BC travels to Saskatchewan on June 13. Winnipeg and Saskatchewan both averaged more than 28,000 at home in 2025, so the weekly average should climb.