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66°F / 19°C
(Clear. Mild.)
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With its rich history of musical innovation and a booming automotive industry, it is little wonder that Detroit entertainment choices should revolve around cars and concerts. The Motor City is also one of the world’s most sports-crazy cities.
Theater and Cinema
With the advent of a genuine if rudimentary theater district and the blossoming of Greektown into a center of nightlife, at least part of downtown has become an entertainment mecca. The magnificent, restored Fox Theatre is at the center of the action, and it’s worth visiting just to see the building, no matter what’s on stage. The smaller, exquisitely decorated Gem Theatre is also a must-see. The nearby Fillmore Detroit is operating again after years of being shut down.
The Cass Corridor and Wayne State University have spawned a vital and varied nightlife scene, so choices are plentiful. Wayne State’s Hilberry and Bonstelle theaters are first-class venues with uniformly good productions of student-staffed plays.
The Detroit Film Theatre attracts big crowds every weekend for non-mainstream movies in its auditorium at the rear of the Detroit Institute of Arts. In the New Center Area, the sedate, elegant Fisher Theatre hosts touring Broadway shows. It is worth the trip just to see the building’s spectacular golden lobby and the ornate theater.
Music
Nearby, the Detroit Opera House boasts a huge orchestra pit and excellent acoustics. The Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts is one of the nation’s premier venues for dance, drama and jazz.
Parking can get tricky around Greektown, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. There are a good number of small venues for jazz, rock and other nightlife. The grungy St. Andrew’s Hall features alternative rock, while other small clubs abound. For fans of jazz, Baker's Keyboard Lounge is a must-see for good eats and great live music.
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs in the acoustically near-perfect, wonderfully restored Orchestra Hall between downtown and the Medical Center. The huge, ornate Masonic Temple—the largest in the world—often hosts concerts. The Union Street Saloon is usually jammed with drinkers and diners. Across the street from it, the Majestic Theatre, the site of magician Harry Houdini’s last performance, is a venue for alternative rock shows and poetry readings.
Sports and Festivals
The Joe Louis Arena is home to the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings. The Wings attract large crowds, which mostly disperse afterwards by car to various far-flung bars. Cobo Arena, which used to host the Detroit Pistons in long-gone days, now has occasional concerts and off-beat sporting events.
During summer months, Hart Plaza hosts ethnic festivals and concerts nearly every weekend. The Labor Day Jazz Festival on Labor Day weekend is one of the nation's premier musical attractions.
The Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the National Basketball Association’s Detroit Pistons, and occasionally at the Silverdome in Pontiac, where the National Football League’s Detroit Lions used to play. The Palace is also home to the Detroit Shock of the Women’s National Basketball Association, the Detroit Rockers of the National Professional Soccer League (indoor soccer), and the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League. Hazel Park Raceway hosts harness racing each year from April through October, with Northville Downs handling the ponies the remaining months. Both tracks now have simulcasting of races around the country.
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