Detroit Entertainment

Cruising in your car and listening to Motown music on the radio has been Detroit’s idea of entertainment since the 1950s. So, it is only natural that many of the city’s entertainment choices revolve around automobiles and music. The Motor City also offers the sports enthusiast plenty of choice. Golf, bowling and softball are leading participation sports, but everything from Belgian feather bowling and cricket to cross-country skiing is available in terms of recreational choices.

Nightlife

Although Detroit’s downtown may have a reputation for being dangerous after dark, its nightlife offers plenty of surprises for those who are new to the city. Musically, Detroit has long been at the cutting edge, bringing both Motown and techno to modern audiences. Although downtown is less crowded at night than during the day, it is still home to various nightspots, and more and more people from the suburbs flock to the area on Friday and Saturday nights.

Rivertown is home to many jazz and blues bars, while the theatre district at the north end of Downtown features more upmarket eating and drinking establishments. The suburbs are also a good place to find clubs and bars. Younger crowds have plenty of choices, from dance clubs in Ann Arbor to bars in Pontiac. Royal Oak and Birmingham offer a more diverse mix of entertainment.

Theatre and music

Detroit has a vibrant theatre scene, with The Masonic Temple Theatre being one of the largest and finest theatrical houses in the country. Since its opening in 1926 by the Masonic fraternity, the Masonic Temple Theatre has staged virtually all forms of live entertainment including plays, musicals, variety shows, classical music, opera, rock and roll and dance. The lavish, splendid Detroit opera house hosts sleek theatre productions from the Big Apple including Dance Theatre Harlem. The resilience and pride of the Detroit Music Hall lies in its roots and record of hosting stage legends like Lucille Ball and Ray Charles.

For those favouring jazz, blues, rock and reggae, the Majestic Theatre is the hottest place in town. Ferndale’s Magic Bag is also a well-liked blues spot, featuring past acts like Bo Didley and Burning Spear, and welcoming the greying blues veteran and the office worker alike. Nearer to downtown, Hamtramck’s Lili’s is the place for original modern rock, where bands have been playing their original music since the 1920s.

Festivals

The people of Detroit like to party and the city’s calendar of festivals and events includes sporting events, carnivals, parades, Mardi Gras and scores of festivities.

• North American International Auto Show goes back to 1907, when the first Detroit Auto Show was held at Beller’s Beer Garden. Nowadays, the event is staged in the Cobo Centre and showcases the latest concept and production cars (January).
• Detroit Downtown Hoedown is a free country music festival that is staged at Hart Plaza, featuring some of country and western’s star performers (May).
• Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival is a joint Canada-US celebration of Canada Day (July 1) and American Independence Day (July 4), culminating in a spectacle of amazing fireworks over the Ambassador Bridge.
• African World Festival is a pulsating, vibrant event celebrating African art and music. It is staged in the Hart Plaza and draws well over a million people, making it Detroit’s main ethnic festival (August).
• Detroit International Jazz Festival is the city’s most important festival and North America’s largest jazz festival in which the city’s jazz legacy is honoured and celebrated. Scores of people gather at the Hart Plaza to swing to some of the world’s leading jazz artists (September).