Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre

My son graduated from ML King High school this past June and the graduation was at this location and it was beautiful. The weather was perfect, the staff were friendly and helpful, and there were no bad views of the stage. As a side note it is highly recommended that you follow the rules though when it comes to what purses are allowed in the venue. They only allow a certain size and type and will NOT let you in if it is the wrong kind. I saw many women standing to the side fussing because they wouldn't let them in.

Very nice venue! You can look at the water and sew the boats docked listening at the concert. Also has projection on the ceiling of the venue where you can see the artist performing up close. I had a great time! Had good parking. Paid $20 dollars at the first lot on Chene Street.

Theatre is truly one of Detroit's great entertainment jewels! Outdoor but protected overhead it was drizzling, but not to worry, with the beautiful backdrop of the Detroit River and Canada! I went to see Cameo, Mary Jane Girls and other favorites from my R&B Funk club past and had a ball. The Aretha is a solidly built open air theatre with lots of bathrooms, bars service a little slow though and even food selections. Fun evening enjoying music under the stars!

I am giving the artist 5/5 Lord Huron killed it! And made for a memorable night. As far as the venue goes there’s room for improvement. Im not sure if we just had good timing but getting in wasn’t too bad. We paid 20 for parking and was able to find a parking spot easily. However, no one was actually directing cars in the lot. We walked across the street to the venue and didn’t have to wait in line to get in. We went through security. I didn’t feel very “secure” as they didn’t even checked my bag. We walked around to get a feel of the place and get in line for food. The lines were insane! The prices .. $20 for one white claw. $6 for a bottled water! We were in line before the opening act started and got our food after they had ended! For a good 30 minutes they just stopped calling out food order numbers and people were starting to get frustrated. The bar lines were merged into the concession lines. When people asked the security/ ushers questions they seemed like they had no idea what was going on. They weren’t very attentive in helping you find your seat the numbers are really small on the right side of them. Like everyone else saying this venue has great potential and could attract more crowds. Not every day you have a beautiful backdrop like the Aretha. Better organization and more training to their staff is crucial. It’ll make the WHOLE experience a 5/5.

The performance by both artists were absolutely fantastic. The facilities are very inadequate for the possible value of person the arena can accommodate. They definitely need more restrooms and these they have definitely need lots of work. Great sounds…

Formally Chene park. Very cool venue. Even with lawn tickets, they do a good job projecting the show on the ceiling. My favorite part was seeing the water behind the opener before it got dark. Get there on time the shows start promptly when the ticket says it does. Also be sure to to the left side of the amphitheater when facing the stage to see the Detroit skyline.

Kem was amazing! Tamia opened the show with her beautiful voice and set the tone. The Aretha is a great outdoor venue but they could do better with seat numbering. The weather was great which made for an even better experience. Drink and food stations could be upgraded as well.

Great venue right on the river. Loved having the water and Canada as a backdrop. Convenient parking, seats had plenty of leg room, good sound quality. Only negative was the drinks are pricey and $5 for a bottle of water is a bit much.

One of the most scenic venues in Michigan. It's gorgeous and always a fun time. And there's not a bad seat. They usually get great artists to come out. Only reason it's not 5 stars: long lines for drinks and concessions, very chaotic at times and the sound system is pretty bad.

This is a wonderful venue for concerts. Love the jazzy Wednesday nights. Having the Detroit River as the background is amazing! I only gave 4 stars, because of the traffic and the parking. The prices are inconsistent and things seem to be unorganized at times.