2026 Arts, Beats & Eats: What to know

ROYAL OAK, MICH. — FOX 2 – Arts, Beats & Eats is returning this Labor Day Weekend for four days of art shows, live music, and great food. The annual festival kicks off Sept. 4 in downtown Royal Oak. 

Headed to the event? Here’s what to know: 

When is Arts, Beats & Eats? 

Big picture view:

The event runs from Friday, Sept. 4 to Monday, Sept. 7 and with times from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday–Sunday and from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7. 

Arts, Beats & Eats tickets

What you can do:

Tickets can be purchased online for $10 until Sept. 10, after which they will be $15 both online and at the door. VIP tickets range from $60.00 to $110.00 depending on the date and show’s headliner. 

VIP tickets also include access to the front area of the Jim Beam National Stage, which also includes a private bar, private restrooms, as well as free water and soft drinks.

Admission is free before 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4. 

Arts, Beats & Eats parking

According to the festival, lots will begin charging at 2 p.m. on Friday, and structures begin charging at 5 p.m. on Friday. Before 5 p.m. on Friday, parking will be regular Royal Oak parking rates at the structures. 

The event does not have designated handicap parking. The designated handicap spots at each parking structure are for use by those with the correct license plates and/or tags only. 

Downtown Royal Oak Parking

Dig deeper:

Parking prices at all downtown lots and structures are noted on each lot:

1. Downtown Structure #1 | $25
Located at Lafayette & 5th St
516 S. Lafayette, Royal Oak, MI 48067

2. Downtown Structure #2 | $25
Located on Lafayette, North of 4th Street
271 Lafayette Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067

3. Downtown Structure #3 | $25
Center & Third St.
300 S. Center Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067

4. Downtown Structure #4 | $25
11 Mile between Main and Troy
110 E. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak, MI 48067

5. Oakland Community College Parking Structure | $20 (Cash Only)
Lincoln & Washington
847 S Washington Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067

6. Farmer’s Market | $15
(Please note: parking at the Farmers Market will be free TO MARKET CUSTOMERS ONLY as normal until 1pm on Friday and Saturday)
Located at the intersection of 11 Mile & Troy St. East of Main.
316 E 11 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067

8. Rock on Third Lot | $15
Parking lot behind Rock on Third

Parking options near downtown

1. Royal Oak Middle School Lot | $15
Washington North of 11 Mile & Willis
The Royal Oak Middle School Lot also utilizes the Shuttle; more information below.
709 North Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, MI 48067-1735

2. Emagine Theatre Parking Garage

Main Street North of 11 Mile Road
200 N Main St, Royal Oak, MI 48067

Arts, Beats & Eats shuttle

Big picture view:

Parking at the Shuttle Lot is $10, and iding the shuttle is free. 

Timeline:

The shuttle will run from 10:30 a.m. – midnight, dropping off at 2nd & Washington by the Post Office in Downtown.

1. Royal Oak High School
Located off of Crooks, North of 13 Mile
1500 Lexington Boulevard, Royal Oak, MI 48073-2400

Bicycle Locations:

Bike parking will be free and first come, first served. 

Location/Bicycle Capacity
South: Washington St. Just south of Lincoln (southbound lane):800
North: Washington Near Second Avenue (southbound lane):1000

Suggested Bike Routes

Corral Hours

Friday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

Saturday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

Sunday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

Monday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

MoGo Bikesharing:

MoGo is Metro Detroit’s non-profit bikeshare organization, operating bikeshare in Detroit, Ferndale, Royal Oak, Oak Park, Berkley, and Huntington Woods, according to Arts, Beats & Eats. 

You can get a bike from any of MoGo’s stations and also return it to any station. MoGo has a map of all their bike station locations available. There are also different pass options offered. 

MoGo also has a FAQ page to answer any questions, and they can also be contacted here. 

SMART Buses:

There are several SMART bus routes that will take you directly to the festival. You can find information on your route and plan your trip with help from the SMART bus website. You can also call SMART customer service at 866-962-5515. 

Arts, Beats & Eats has also provided a festival map to help you with your planning. 

The Fine Art Fair 

The backstory:

The Fine Art Fair at Arts, Beats & Eats was recently ranked the 7th Best Fine Art Fair in the US by Sunshine Artist Magazine and the top fine art show in Michigan, according to Arts, Beats & Eats. The Fine Arts Show welcomes artists from across the United States, including many from Michigan and Metro Detroit. 

Big picture view:

The 2026 Fine Art Fair will be located on the southern edge of the festival site. Artists from across the nation will pack the streets and showcase on 7th Street between Lafayette & Washington, Washington between 7th and Lincoln, and Lincoln between Washington and Center.  

The art fair has its own hours within the festival. Here are their hours: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 and Saturday, Sept. 5: 11 a.m. — 9 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 6 and Monday, Sept. 7: 11 a.m. — 5 p.m.

A list of art vendors and presenters can be found on the Arts, Beats & Eats website. 

Some art mediums that will be featured include: ceramics, digital art, drawings & pastels, fabrics/fiber/leather, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media 2D, mixed media 3D, painting, photography, sculpture, and wood. 

Beats: 2026 Music Lineup 

Guide to music performances:

Various different genres will take multiple stages at the festival. There are a total of 11 stages throughout the weekend. Each stage has a set of different performances and headlines. The full performance lineup can be found here. 

Jim Beam National Stage Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 9:30 p.m. — Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening 
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 9:30 p.m. — Third Eye Blind 
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 9:30 p.m. — Chris Young 
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 7:45 p.m. — Kool & The Gang 

Bud Light Alternative Stage Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 9:30 p.m. — Killer Flamingos (Cover Band) 
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 9:30 p.m. — With Arms Wide Open (Creed Tribute) 
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 9:30 p.m. — Your Girlfriend’s Favorite Cover Band (Your Girlfriend’s Favorite Songs) 
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. — The Warped Tourists (Covers/Pop/Punk) 

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Rock Stage Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 10:00 p.m. — The Persuasion Band (Cover Band — Top 40) 
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 9:45 p.m. — Sunset Blvd. (Tribute Band) 
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 9:45 p.m. — Tino G’s Dumpster Machine (Detroit Boogie/Rock) 
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. — The Reefermen (Rock/Classic Rock) 

Culver’s Country/Americana Stage Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 9:30 p.m. — Jennifer Westwood & The Handsome Devils (Alt-Country/Soul)
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 9:30 p.m. — Ryan Jay (Country)
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 9:30 p.m. — Joe Jaber & The Last Divide (Americana/Country)
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. — Audrey Ray (Country)

Mike Morse Law Firm R&B/Jazz Stage

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 9:30 p.m. — Larry Lee & Back in The Day Band (R&B/Funk)
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 9:30 p.m. — Alise King (Neo-Soul/R&B) 
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 9:30 p.m. — Smoke Jones (Jazz/R&B/Soul) 
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 7:45 p.m. — Thornetta Davis (Blues/Rock) 

Flagstar International Stage Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 9:45 p.m. — The Polish Muslims (Polka Rock) 
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 9:45 p.m. — Roots Vibrations (Reggae/Soca) 
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 9:45 p.m. — Mr. Bill & His ZCats (Zydeco) 
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 7:45 p.m. — Sean Blackman’s In Transit (World Music) 

Oakland Community College Acoutsic/Cultural Stage Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m. — BS Duo (Acoustic Variety)
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:00 p.m. — Don’t Miss (Acoustic/Classic/Rock/Country/80s-00s Modern) 
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 7:00 p.m. — Ironwood (Acoustic Folk)
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 3:45 p.m. — Root Cause Analysis (Americana/Singer-Songwriter)

House of Dank, Dank Gallery Stage Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 10:00 p.m. — Fire Dancers
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 10:00 p.m. — LED Dancers
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 10:00 p.m. — LED Dancers
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 8:15 p.m. — Fire Dancers 

Hotel Royal Oak Pride Stage (Located on the Pronto Patio) Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 8:30 p.m. — Ben Sharkey Quartet 
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 8:30 p.m. — S.L.A.Y. — The Spotlight on the LGBTQIA+ Artists and You
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 8:30 p.m. — Five15 Drag Spectacular 
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 6:45 p.m. — Voices of Pride: Singer Showcase

Detroit Institute of Arts Family Stage Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. — Amazing Clark Magic Show
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 6:15 p.m. — Artlab J/K-Pop Team
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. — Great Lakes Taiko Center – Raion Taiko 
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. — Cool Tricks & Funny Stuff 

Beatbox After Dark Stage Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 9:30 p.m. — RAEDY LEX 
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 9:00 p.m. — Metawav. 
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 9:30 p.m. — DJ TWIZT

526 Main Dueling Pianos Stage Headliners: 

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 7:30-11:30 p.m. — Dueling Pianos
• Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30-11:30 p.m. — Dueling Pianos
• Sunday, Sept. 6 at 7:30-11:30 p.m. — Dueling Pianos
• Monday, Sept. 7 at 12:00-6:00 p.m. (Check-In at 11:00 a.m.) — Arts, Beats & Eats Star Maker Showdown Finals

Eats: 2026 Food Lineup 

Guide on food & beverages:

Washington Street North of 4th 

4th Street West

4th Street East 

Washington between 4th & 5th  

Washington between 4th & 5th (East)

5th Between Washington & Center

Washington Between 5th and 6th  

Washington Street between 6th and 7th  

Center between 5th and 6th

7th street between Washington and Center 

Additional information regarding the full Arts, Beats & Eats 2026 festival can be found here. 

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