“Each year Ford Arts, Beats & Eats presented by Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort strives to bring one of the best and most diverse free concert lineups to the state,” said event producer Jonathan Witz. “For this year, we have put together a spectacular list of acts that I think features our best lineup ever.”

The Michigan Lottery National Stage will feature top selling, popular and rising national performers that will certainly deliver top “rock” acts to the “beats” of the festival. The confirmed national acts feature world famous “rock” legends Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (“I love Rock ‘N’ Roll”); popular pop “rock” singer Gavin DeGraw (“I Don’t Wanna Be,” “Sweeter” and “She Sets The City On Fire”); alternative “rock” stars; Our Lady Peace (“Somewhere Out There”); hard edge “rockers” Buckcherry (“Lit Up”); and classic “rock” sensation Three Dog Night (“Joy to the World”). Other headliners include country music star Cole Swindell (“Middle of a Memory”) and rising country sensation Blackjack Billy (“The Booze Cruise”), as well as funk/R&B jammers The Ohio Players (“Love Rollercoaster”), Indie Pop group Jr Jr (“Gone”) and Laith Al-Saadi, who was featured on the 2016 finale of NBC’s The Voice. The stage also will feature local music stars Flint Eastwood, Your Generation in Concert, Stewart Francke, Lilac Lungs and Carolyn Striho.

Detroit’s best local bands will be featured on six additional music stages, with a quality mix and variety of music that is unmatched by any other festival. The local stages include Country Stage, Alternative Rock Stage, Rock Stage, R&B and Jazz Stage, Acoustic Stage, and International Stage. Top local talent featured this year includes Nina & the Buffalo Riders, Last Call, Acoustic Madness and Stone Clover.

On the Oakland County Kids Stage, audiences will enjoy a variety of fun, interactive and informative performances. On Friday, Sept. 2 and Saturday, Sept. 3, from 12 p.m. – 8 p.m., families can visit the Kids Zone for hands-on science activities and live demonstrations. Rosco the Clown, Pure Imagination Magic, puppet shows, jugglers, and several other kid-focused interactive shows will bring endless laughs, smiles, amazement and awe to audiences throughout every day of the festival.

The Michigan Science Center will be on hand with its “Science Spectacular.” Attendees can witness the wonders of science through exciting demonstrations exploring chemistry, physics and more!” Back by popular demand, The Detroit School of Rock and Pop Music will kick off the weekend as the Kids Stage opening act.

The full schedule of artists is as follows:

2016 Ford Arts, Beats & Eats Music Schedule:

Michigan Lottery National Stage:

Friday, September 2:

• 4:30pm                                                          Carolyn Striho
• 6:00 p.m.                                                       Stewart Franke (R&B/Folk/Garage Rock)
• 8:00p.m.                                                        Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (Rock)
• 10:00 p.m.                                                     Buckcherry (Rock)

Saturday, September 3:

• 9:00 a.m.                                                       Zumbathon
• 4:15p.m.                                                        Lilac Lungs
• 6:00 p.m.                                                       Your Generation in Concert (Tribute)
• 8:30 p.m.                                                       Jr Jr (Indie Pop)
• 10:00 p.m.                                                     Our Lady Peace (Rock)

Sunday, September 4:

• 5:15p.m.                                                        Flint Eastwood (Pop)
• 6:45 p.m.                                                       Gavin DeGraw (Pop/Rock)
• 8:45 p.m.                                                       Three Dog Night (Rock)
• 10:45 p.m.                                                     Laith Al Saadi (Blues/Rock/Soul)

Monday, September 5:

• 2:45 p.m.                                                       Matt Austin (Country)
• 4:30 p.m.                                                       BlackJack Billy (Country Rock)
• 6:00 p.m.                                                       Cole Swindell (Country)
• 8:00 p.m.                                                       Ohio Players (Funk/R&B)

For schedules of the other stages: http://artsbeatseats.com/beats/

OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS: Ford Arts, Beats & Eats sponsors that have committed at this point include Ford and its Detroit Region, in partnership with the Southeast Michigan Ford Dealers as Title Sponsor and Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort as the Presenting Sponsor. Other sponsors are City of Royal Oak DDA, Budweiser, Pepsi, Michigan Lottery, Priority Health, MetroPCS, Beaumont Hospital, WDIV Local 4, Made in Detroit, Oakland County Parks, Oakland County, Kroger, OUR Credit Union, Xfinity, Vibe Credit Union, Sprint, Detroit Institute of Arts, St. John Hospital & Medical Center, Barefoot Winery, Hawthorn Suites, LifeTime Fitness, Majic Windows, DTE Energy, Renewal by Andersen, US Park, Detroit Red Wings, Hansons Windows, Light-RX Face & Body, Detroit Shirt Company, Art Van Pure Sleep, The Kingsley Inn, Ever Dry Waterproofing, Rockstar Energy Drink, Weathergard Windows, Street Eatzz, M1 Studios, Ace & Sons Insulation, Atlas Home Improvement.

For additional information, visit:

www.artsbeatseats.com