Update: 9:45 a.m. Wednesday -- That didn't take long. Ford was offering free tickets to its June 6 concert at Roosevelt Park to commemorate the opening of the Michigan Central train station in Corktown. The park is in front of the station.
At 9 a.m., the online portal was open for people to sign up. Five minutes later it was sold out.
The concert will feature well-known Detroit artists. Ford expects about 15,000 people to attend.
Tickets were supposed to be available on Tuesday, but the website was overwhelmed, resulting in glitches. The availability was then moved to Wednesday.
People can still sign up for tours, which will be available on the main floor from June 7 to June 16. To get tickets for a tour, click here.
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From Monday, May 20
Michigan Central, the train depot in Detroit's Corktown, which has been closed since 1988, will host a major outdoor event on Thursday, June 6 to celebrate its opening. Tours and other event will follow the next day, through June 16.
The June 6 opening will include a concert being billed as, "Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central."
The opening and the subsequent tours will require tickets, which are free. People can begin registration for tickets at noon on Tuesday by clicking here.
Ford Motor Co. bought the shuttered station in 1988 and plans to move in employees and rent space to other companies to create an innovative eco system. There are plans for a hotel and retail space as well.
Ford also bought the old Detroit Public Schools book depository next door and renovated it to create a campus-like setting with the station. The building has been open since last year and houses a number of startups, both locally and from around the world.
According to a press release:
- On June 6, festivities kick off with Live from Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central, a 90-minute outdoor spectacular in front of The Station headlined by some of Detroit’s biggest stars. The standing room only show will feature short films, appearances by local leaders, and creators telling stories of innovation and culture from around the city and the region. Gates will open at 6 p.m., and the show will begin at 8:30 p.m.
- Beginning, Friday, June 7 through June 16, Michigan Central will host its OPEN House, offering a first look inside The Station’s fully and faithfully restored ground floor through a range of exhibits, entertainment, art, and more.
- Next door, on the front lawn of Newlab at Michigan Central (the former Book Depository building), visitors can enjoy music and local entertainment, hear about opportunities for innovation, community events, and skills programming at Michigan Central, and purchase food, drinks, and commemorative souvenirs.
Ford seems to be going all out for the concert.
It has hired Jesse Collins Entertainment, an Emmy-winning production company that has produced major music events on TV and multiple Super Bowl Halftime Shows. Additionally, Emmy award-winning production companies Diversified Production Services and Killian + Company will help in producing the event.
The performers have yet to be announced, but the press release says it will include "a lineup of legendary Detroit performers."
