Detroit’s Riverfront Amphitheater Turns 40 Years Old

Singer October London will kick off the 40th season at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre on May 23, 2025. The 6,000-seat Detroit venue is gearing up for another landmark year of music.

The venue started as Chene Park in 1985. Mayor Coleman A. Young worked out a deal with President Carter's team to acquire three waterfront properties. What began as shipping docks became Detroit's musical hotspot by the river.

Shahida Mausi initially brought performances to life while heading Detroit's Council of the Arts. Now, her company, The Right Productions, manages the venue, making it the largest Black-owned venue of its kind.

In those early days, people paid just $5 to see shows. Jazz legend Carmen McRae stayed and performed through the rain to deliver one of the first memorable performances.

Young hoped to compete with Pine Knob Music Theatre, but space limitations got in the way. The property, originally part of French settler Charles Chene's property, runs east from downtown along the Detroit River.

Big names lit up the stage over the years. The White Stripes brought the house down. The Roots showed up with their rhythm. Erykah Badu worked her magic. And the Queen of Soul herself rocked the place during 2015's massive 30th anniversary celebration.

In 2018, after Franklin passed away, the venue took her name. Her youngest son, Kecalf, told the Michigan Chronicle: "She would be very happy to see everyone out here celebrating her legacy."

That renaming celebration came alive with Franklin's recorded and live music as pianist Alvin Waddles honored her memory. Later that summer, musicians came together to pay tribute after she died at 76 from pancreatic cancer.

The venue's future might blend rock and country with its signature lineup of R&B, jazz, and hip-hop shows. This expansion builds on Young's 1980s dream of turning Detroit's waterfront into a cultural treasure from the Ambassador Bridge to Belle Isle.