Eminem, Diana Ross, more mark official reopening of Michigan Central Station

Diana Ross performs at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

When a concert opens with Diana Ross and ends with a surprise performance by Eminem, you know you’re witnessing something special.

That’s exactly what 20,000 attendees in Roosevelt Park, in front of the newly renovated Michigan Central Station, experienced Thursday night.

The concert, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central,” marked the start of 11 days of grand reopening festivities at Michigan Central Station. After decades of abandonment, the building has spent the past six years undergoing a multi-million dollar restoration by Ford Motor Co., which was aided by $300 million in state, local and historic rehabilitation tax incentives. The show aired live on Peacock, and a shortened version will air as a special on NBC at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Presenters like Lions legend Barry Sanders, “Detroiters” star Sam Richardson and “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner introduced the various acts, who each performed short sets.

“It’s been incredible to see how much this city’s changed over the past 36 years. But I think the building behind me is the greatest symbol of how far we’ve come,” Sanders said. “This place has transformed into the crown jewel of a 30-acre tech and cultural mecca, an invitation to come invent a better future right here in Detroit.”

Barry Sanders and Amon-Ra St. Brown speak at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Work is still underway in the upper floors of the historic building, but the ground floor — featuring grand spaces with elements of each of the building’s chapters in place – opened for tours Friday. More than 60,000 people are expected to visit the station over the next 10 days.

While tickets for the first 10 days of tours are sold out, the building will be open on Fridays from 5 pm to 9 pm and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from June 21 through the end of August. Hours will expand in the fall, once the first commercial activations in the former train station will open to the public.

Exhibits inside Michigan Central during these first weeks include a portrait gallery, a testimonial space featuring stories of those whose lives the station has touched, posters that pay homage to the visual history surrounding the station and a sneak peek at what’s coming soon to Michigan Central.

There’s also an interactive sculpture in the South Concourse that allows visitors to speak a single word representing their vision for the future, which is then processed by an AI program and expressed back in a unique pattern of light and color shimmering across the structure.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said that the restoration has “healed a hole in the heart of every single longtime Detroiter and the long and storied history of this city,” calling Bill Ford Jr. “someone who will forever be remembered as a true Detroit legend.”

“During my parents’ generation and my grandparents’ generation, this was a magnificent gateway to a beautiful city that we were so proud of,” Duggan said. “But for 40 years, it became a source of pain and an international symbol of our decline.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan speak at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Ford Jr. said the station was once “our Ellis Island.”

“To see it abandoned and crumbling, it actually felt like part of our soul was being whittled away,” Ford Jr. said.

Detroit rapper Big Sean noted that at 110 years old, Michigan Central Station has been standing longer than anyone in the audience.

“What’s cool about the train station is it’s been through every era of Detroit,” Big Sean said. “It’s been through the riots; it’s been through Motown; it’s been through the automotive industry. It’s seen us be bankrupt and be at the very bottom of our city.

“So the fact that it has gone through all of this pressure and now is a diamond — it really is a diamond that came out of the rough — I feel like it’s an oasis in the middle of the city. And it’s a metaphor for us all,” Big Sean said.

That history and cultural diversity was represented during the concert, which opened with one of Motown Records’ most successful artists, who fronted the Supremes and is one of the top female vocal acts of all time.

The crowd began singing and dancing along to Ross’ 1980 hit, “I’m Coming Out,” before the 80-year-old legend took the stage in an orange dress that was flowing in the wind, entering through props designed to look like the front doors of Michigan Central Station swinging open.

Like the train station Ross was performing in front of, the song has taken on a new life in recent years – becoming a LGBTQ+ anthem, making it a fitting choice to open the concert during Pride Month.

Ross closed out her set with her 1970 hit, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

“I love you. So good to be home,” Ross said as she left the stage.

Not much later, Sky Jetta was performing a DJ set to honor Detroit’s contributions to the techno music scene. Hosting underground raves during its abandoned years is a part of Michigan Central Station’s cultural history.

Pioneering gospel group The Clark Sisters and Kierra Sheard performed a set honoring Detroit’s churches.

“You don’t get a Smokey Robinson, a David Ruffin or an Aretha Franklin without Detroit’s churches,” Judge Greg Mathis said.

Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village joined forces with Chicago rapper Common for a tribute to the late Detroit producer J Dilla.

Melissa Etheridge performed Bob Seger’s “Main Street” before calling Fantasia on stage to perform Seger’s “Shakedown.” Jelly Roll was the last person to join the stage during the tribute, performing “Turn the Page” before all three joined together to perform Seger’s 1978 hit “Old Time Rock and Roll.”

Eminem performs with Trick Trick, Denaun Porter and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Detroit rock star Jack White announced that he would be playing “a couple songs that were written a few blocks away from here,” getting the crowd especially fired up as he played “Seven Nation Army” while giant balls of fire erupted behind him.

Eminem served as executive producer for the concert, helping to select the diverse range of musical acts highlighted during the event. Ford called it “the greatest assemblage of all-star musical talent in Detroit since the legendary Motown Showcases.”

But his appearance at the concert remained a source of speculation among audience members until the very end of the night, when Bill Ford Jr. introduced the legendary rapper, who performed a set backed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Eminem started his set by performing his new single, “Houdini,” which was released last week. Jelly Roll joined Eminem on stage for Aerosmith’s “Dream On” before Detroit rapper Trick Trick joined him for “Welcome 2 Detroit.” He closed the show with “Not Afraid.”

“Detroit, we love you,” Eminem said as fireworks went off. “Our city’s up. Let’s f–king go!”

Eminem performs with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Jack White performs at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Eminem performs at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Eminem performs with Denaun Porter and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Sam Richardson and Frank Solis speak at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Sky Jetta performs at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

The Clark Sisters perform at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Common performs at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Kierra Sheard and The Clark Sisters perform at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Slum Village performs at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Common and Slum Village perform at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Sophia Bush and Nia Batts speak at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Judge Greg Mathis and Loni Love speak at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Jelly Roll performs at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Fantasia performs at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Melissa Etheridge, Fantasia and Jelly Roll perform at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Taylor Lautner, left, speaks at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Big Sean performs at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Melissa Etheridge performs at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Jalen Rose and Mike Epps speak at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Jared Goff, Barry Sanders and Amon-Ra St. Brown speak at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Bill Ford Jr., Ford CEO Jim Farley and former Ford CEO Jim Hackett speak at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

Bill Ford Jr. speaks at a concert celebrating the reopening of Michigan Central Station on June 6, 2024. Eminem, Diana Ross, Big Sean and Jack White headlined the event at Roosevelt Park, titled “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central.” (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

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Eminem, Diana Ross, more mark official reopening of Michigan Central Station

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