The unofficial end of summer will bring a bevy of musical acts big and small — both homegrown and nationally renowned — to Downtown Royal Oak for the 19th Annual Ford Arts, Beats & Eats. The schedule for the outdoor festival, which takes place Labor Day Weekend, was recently announced and includes more than 200 performances on nine stages.
This year’s headliners include the punk-edged hard rock stylings of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, L.A.-based Buckcherry’s old-fashioned party jams, Toronto post-grunge band Our Lady Peace, the R&B-leaning tunes from songwriter Gavin DeGraw, ’70s commercial success Three Dog Night, country singer Cole Swindell, and the sizzling funk unit Ohio Players. The Detroit area is well-represented on the mainstage too, with alt-pop act Flint Eastwood, indie electronic group JR JR, and The Voice contestant Laith Al Saadi holding it down for The Motor City.
Metro Detroit artists of all genres can be found all throughout the rest of the lineup, which is among the most impressive and diverse of all the summer festivals in the area. In addition to the music, Arts Beats & Eats boasts a highly ranked juried fine arts show and local restaurants with some of the finest cuisine in Metro Detroit.
In 2015, more than 380,000 visitors attended the festival and over $250,000 was raised for local charities. Festival admission is $3 until 3:00 p.m. and $5 after 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Arts, Beats & Eats is free to enter until 5:00 p.m. on Friday only.
See the full schedule for Arts, Beats & Eats here.