More than 200 acts will be held on nine stages in the edition of Arts, Beats & amp; Eats, topped by a national stage list that includes rock band 311, rapper Flo Rida, country singer Chase Rice and Detroit alt-rock mainstay Sponge.
Details for the Labor Day weekend festival were announced Tuesday, including a lineup of 50-plus participating restaurants and offerings from pierogi to lobster rolls.
The festival, formally known as Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats Presented by Flagstar Bank, will run September 2-5 in downtown Royal Oak as the event marks its 25th year.
Since it ditched the drive-in show that was dropped during the 2020 pandemic lockout, AB&E is one of the few long-running festivals in the region — and even in the country — that can still claim to be going on every year since its inception. .
Other national performers this year will include soul-pop outfit Fitz and the Tantrums, hard rock band Chevelle, rappers Rob Base and Montell Jordan, funk group Average White Band, country artist Jackson Dean and Boston lead singer Tommy DeCarlo.
They are part of a musical lineup otherwise dominated by a genre-crossing array of metro Detroit performers, including the first stage headliners Martin Chaparro MC3, Autumn Kings, Sunset Blvd. and Aston Neighborhood Pleasure Club.
House of Dank, the dispensary chain that last year became AB&E’s first cannabis sponsor, will feature a Performance Pit area with electronic music DJs.
The food side of this year’s festival features 50 vendors from a mix of metro Detroit restaurants, food trucks and caterers.
The lineup includes everything from barbecue and Italian fare to pierogi, desserts and fine dining.
Some new food options joining the festival lineup include Pita Way, a metro Detroit chain that offers Mediterranean cuisine, and Cousins Maine Lobster food truck. The latter is a national chain known for its Maine (served cold) and Connecticut (served with warm butter) lobster rolls. Other offerings are lobster bisque, New England clam chowder and lobster tail.
The Galindo food truck is also new to the festival. An offshoot of the Southgate restaurant, it serves Mexican cuisine, including street tacos, quesadillas and burritos.
Last year, AB&E ended its practice of selling festival-exchanged tickets for food items. Now food vendors accept cash or credit.
AB&E will also present its traditional juried fine art show, with more than 150 arts and crafts vendors vying for $7,000 in prizes.
Standard festival admission will be $10, with free admission before 5 p.m. on September 2. Admission will be $5 before 3 p.m. in the remaining three days.
A food drive sponsored by Flagstar Bank in conjunction with Forgotten Harvest will let patrons get a $5 admission discount with a donation of three or more canned goods. The campaign will run from August 15-30. Full details and drop off locations can be found at artsbeatseats.com.
