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Tickets for Michigan Central Station concert sell out quickly; public tours still available

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DETROIT (WXYZ) — Registration for the reopening celebration of Michigan Central Station in Detroit resumed at 9 a.m. on Wednesday after the website crashed and sales were paused on Tuesday.

At 9:06 a.m., Michigan Central announced that tickets for the concert were sold out, but public tours were still available.

Registeration is available for the public tours now at michigancentralopenhouse.eventbrite.com.

Ticket registration was scheduled to open to the public at noon on Tuesday. But around 1 p.m., Michigan Central officials released a statement saying registration for Live from Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central and the OPEN House experience was temporarily paused “due to overwhelming demand.”

Photos from people trying to get tickets show it having a problem establishing connection, and the website wouldn't load.

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Evan Kelly talks about not being able to get tickets for the Michigan Central Station grand reopening celebration after the website crash. (May 21, 2024)

"I really want to see it because it’s the highlight of the city’s rebirth," Evan Kelly said. "Actually, my family has roots in Detroit. So, I have pictures of my brother growing up as a little kid in the train station right before it closed down."

Michigan Central’s statement Tuesday afternoon is below:

We appreciate everyone’s excitement to participate in our Michigan Central OPEN celebration.

Due to overwhelming demand, we have temporarily paused registration for Live from Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central and the OPEN House experience to ensure fairness in retrieving tickets.

Tickets are not sold out. We apologize for the inconvenience and will share a new date and time for ticket availability.

Please stay tuned for more information.

Zack Herman was one of the lucky ones who got a few tickets before the website crashed. He said he's not surprised the website crashed.

"I was fearing that it would and then when I clicked the link, it went right to Eventbrite and it worked," Herman said. "I mean, that seems to be the MO now for pretty much any big event in the city is tickets go on sale, website crashes, everyone complains on social media."

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Zack Herman was able to get tickets for the Michigan Central Station grand reopening before the website crashed. (May 21, 2024)

The event will be hosted by Ford and Michigan Central and includes an opening night concert on June 6 and then OPEN House from June 7 to June 16 with a first look inside the station's ground floor.

Tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

VIDEO: Concert, open houses planned to celebrate debut of Michigan Central renovations

Concert, open houses planned to celebrate debut of Michigan Central renovations

"I set a number of reminders and I'll have the website up and ready just before it goes live again," Ryan Jakubowski said.

Tickets for the concert can be found here. OPEN House tickets can be found here.

Watch our report about a father-daughter ironworker duo working on rehabbing the station below

Father-daughter ironworkers among those who rehabbed Michigan Central Station

Officials say the first commercial occupants will begin moving in during the fall.

“There’s no place like Detroit, and we couldn’t be more excited to showcase the city through its own incredible artists,” said Executive Producer Jesse Collins, founder and CEO Jesse Collins Entertainment. “We’re going to create an unforgettable welcome party for Michigan Central with this new chapter in Detroit history that celebrates the visions of these unique performers who are bound together by a shared love of their city.”

“We are thrilled to be a part of honoring the city of Detroit with a special night of celebration, community, and musical brilliance,” said Executive Producer Dionne Harmon, President, Jesse Collins Entertainment. “Detroit’s musical and cultural impact on the world is undeniable and we look forward to spotlighting its legacy on June 6 with the reopening of Michigan Central.”

“We can’t wait to bring the city of Detroit, and its legendary performers, together at Michigan Central to show the nation how incredibly powerful Motor City is,” said Executive Producer Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, SVP, Specials, Jesse Collins Entertainment. “The city’s rich history will shine throughout the production and we promise a memorable evening full of vibrant performances and entertaining surprises.”