Following a billion-dollar restoration by Ford Motor Company, Detroit's once-abandoned Michigan Central trail station will reopen its doors to the public as a dining and shopping hub. And to celebrate the grand opening, a lineup of iconic Detroit performers and other famous musicians are taking the stage for a concert special, airing tonight on NBC.
The sold-out, 90-minute outdoor concert took place on June 6 with a live audience of 20,000 people, but Live from Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central, an hourlong broadcast of the performance, will air Sunday, June 9 at 7pm Eastern Time on NBC.
On the star-studded music roster are Michigan natives like Diana Ross, Big Sean, Jack White, Illa J, Kierra Sheard, Theo Parrish, Slum Village, the Clark Sisters, Sky Jetta and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, with appearances from the likes of Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders as well. Non-Michigan-born famous folk will also appear during tonight's airing, including performers Common, Fantasia, Melissa Etheridge and Jelly Roll, and presenters Mike Epps and Sophia Bush.
Though he was an executive producer of the concert, Detroit-born rapper Eminem—who famously depicted his Michigan roots in the 2002 semi-autobiographical drama film 8 Mile—was not scheduled to perform with the rest of the musical acts, but surprised attendees by closing the show with a set that included songs like "Houdini" and "Welcome 2 Detroit."
“Six years ago, we gathered here, and we dreamt of what was possible. We dared to dream that this station, which had become a symbol of a broken city, could once again shine as the symbol of the Motor City,” Bill Ford, executive chairman for Ford Motor Company, told the crowd before Diana Ross opened the show with a spirited rendition of her classic “I’m Coming Out.”
To tune into Live from Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central, you're going to need access to NBC. You can tune into the channel through a traditional pay-TV service, TV antenna or live TV streaming service (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV all carry NBC). The concert special will also be available to stream with a Peacock subscription if you miss tonight's broadcast.
