Best of Detroit 2026: Arts & Entertainment

Arcade or entertainment venue

Winner: Barcade
Detroit; barcade.com

Finalists: Breakout Escape Rooms, Escape Room, Free Play Pinball Arcade, Offworld Arcade,

Art fair

Winner: Ann Arbor Art Fair
Ann Arbor; theannarborartfair.com

Finalists: Art & Apples Festival, Art in the Park, Michigan Lottery Arts Beats & Eats, Wyandotte Street Art Fair

Art gallery

Winner: Scarab Club
Detroit; scarabclub.org

Finalists: Anton Art Center, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, David Klein Gallery, El Piqasso Art Café & Gallery, Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Playground Detroit

Casino

Winner: MGM Detroit
Detroit; mgmgranddetroit.mgmresorts.com

Finalists: Hollywood Casino at Greektown, Motor City Casino

Club for dancing

Winner: Boogie Fever
Ferndale; boogieferndale.com

Finalists: Nomi Lounge, Spot Lite Detroit, TV Lounge

Club for live music

Winner:  Cliff Bell’s
Detroit; cliffbells.com

Finalists: Blue Llama Jazz Club & Restaurant, Nomi Lounge, The Magic Bag, The Roxy

Comedy club

Winner:  Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle
Royal Oak; comedycastle.com

Finalists: Go Comedy!, One Night Stans Comedy Club, Planet Ant Theatre, Punchline Comedy Lounge

Community theater company

Winner:  Stagecrafters
Royal Oak; stagecrafters.org

Finalists: Farmington Players, In The Mitten Productions

Concert venue

Winner:  Pine Knob Music Theatre
Clarkston; pineknobamp.com

Finalists: Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, Little Caesars Arena, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, Royal Oak Music Theater, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel

Detroit Music Legend

Winner: Bob Seger; bobseger.com

Finalists: Diana Ross, Eminem, Jack White, Kid Rock, Madonna, Stevie Wonder

Jazz club

Winner: Cliff Bell’s
Detroit; cliffbells.com

Finalists: Aretha Jazz Café, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, Blue Llama Jazz Club and Restaurant, Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe

Movie theater (art/indie)

Winner: Detroit Film Theatre
Detroit; dia.org/dft

Finalists: Farmington Civic Theater, Michigan Theater, Redford Theatre

Movie theater (complex)

Winner: Emagine Entertainment
Multiple locations; emagine-entertainment.com

Finalists: MJR Theatres, Phoenix Theatres

Museum (arts)

Winner:  Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit; dia.org

Finalists: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Cranbrook Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit,

Museum (other)

Winner:  Greenfield Village
Dearborn; thehenryford.org/visit/venues/greenfield-village

Finalists: Cranbrook Institute of Science, Detroit Historical Museum, Stahl Motors and Music Experience, The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

Performing Arts Venue

Winner:  Fox Theatre
Detroit; 313presents.com/venue/fox-theatre

Finalists: Detroit Opera House, Detroit Public Theatre, Fisher Theatre, Music Hall Detroit

Podcast

Winner: St. Brown Podcast; youtube.com/@stbrownpodcast

Finalists: Daily Detroit, Eat ‘Em Up: A Detroit Tiger’s Podcast, LifeExcellence with Brian Bartes, The Drew & Mike Podcast, The Pindown: A Pistons Podcast, The Robinett’s Nest (Chuck and Kristy Robinett), What Dewey Do? (Dewey Steffen), Winged Wheel (Red Wings)

Visual Artist

Winner:  Tiff Massey; tiffmassey.com

Finalists: Allie McGhee, Brittney Robinson (@justbiiird), Jodi Lynn Burton, Lois Teicher, Mario Moore, Nicole Jarecz, Sabrina Nelson, Senghor Reid, Sheefy McFly, Shirley Woodson, Susan Goethas Campbell, Tylonn J. Sawyer

This story originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.