Supplied Stephen McGee

Michigan Central Station: Diana Ross, Jack White, Big Sean, and DSO to lead opening lineup

Kate Roff | Monday, June 3, 2024

Michigan Central has unveiled an all-star lineup of Detroit icons, performers and presenters for "Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central", a sold-out opening concert on Thursday, June 6.

Beginning Friday, The Station’s doors open to the public for the 10-day, immersive open house experience to see the landmark’s restored first floor.

The star-studded show on Thursday features iconic musicians and cultural legends, including Michigan talent Diana Ross, Big Sean, Illa J, Jack White, Kierra Sheard, Theo Parrish, Slum Village, the Clark Sisters, Sky Jetta and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. They will be joined by presenters including Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders and stars Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The show will be streaming live on Peacock, as stars take to the stage to celebrate the highly anticipated reopening of Michigan Central Station following a six-year restoration by Ford Motor Company. The ticketed 90-minute outdoor concert will include musical performances, short films, appearances by local leaders, and creators telling stories of innovation and culture from around the city and the region.

“We wanted to celebrate the reopening of Michigan Central Station in style and make it a night to remember for Detroiters and people watching around the world,” said Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford.

“I am honored and grateful that so many of Detroit’s musical legends, sports heroes, artists and innovators are joining us to celebrate the city we all love and the bright future we are creating together.”

Detroit entertainment stars will be joined by other performers, including Common, Fantasia, Melissa Etheridge and Jelly Roll, along with presenters Mike Epps and Sophia Bush. The special concert is executive produced by Detroit music icon Eminem and his manager, Paul Rosenberg.

When it first opened in 1913, Michigan Central Station was not only one of the grandest train depots in the United States, but the tallest in the world. However, as preferences and technology changed in regard to travel, The Station closed in 1988 and remained vacant until Ford’s acquisition of the property in 2018. Since then, more than 3,100 skilled workers have dedicated more than 1.7 million combined hours to meticulously restore The Station to its original architectural grandeur, while also retrofitting it with modern technological infrastructure to support its next chapter.

"Detroit is known around the world for its musical talent, and having so many legendary artists kick off the celebration for the reopening of the iconic Michigan Central Station shows how meaningful this moment is for our city,” said Mayor Mike Duggan.

“This historic landmark symbolizes Detroit’s resilience, innovation, and now, its bright future. This is about more than preserving a piece of our past. It also is about paving the way for a new era of growth and opportunity for all Detroiters.”

Supplied / Brian Ferry

With 640,000 square feet of future retail, hospitality, event and collaborative innovation spaces, The Station is designed to support the 30-acre Michigan Central ecosystem by accommodating larger tenants and established companies, attracting and retaining technology talent and drawing in diverse businesses. The landmark will also be a stop on Detroit’s greenway plan.

Supplied / Brian FerryAfter the 11-day reopening celebration wraps up on June 16, Michigan Central will begin a phased reactivation of The Station over the next several months and years as restaurant, retail, and other commercial and community-focused partners take up residency. The first floor will be open to visitors for self-guided tours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays from June 21 to Aug. 31. Expanded hours will be announced for fall, when the first phase of commercial activations opens to the public.

The sold-out, ticketed event on Thursday will stream live on Peacock on June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Additionally, NBC will air a one-hour primetime special on June 9 starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT. The concert will exclusively air locally on June 6 with pre-show coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET followed by live post-show coverage at 10 p.m. ET on Local 4, and stream on Local 4+ and ClickOnDetroit.com.

Supplied / Stephen McGee

Michigan Central Station: Diana Ross, Jack White, Big Sean, and DSO to lead opening lineup

Read more articles by Kate Roff.

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