Little Caesars Arena: What you need to know for the preview and opening weeks

After years of planning and construction, the Little Caesars Arena will be cutting its ribbon today and previewing the new hockey digs this week. Here’s a roundup of what to keep in mind when planning to visit. Want to watch the ribbon cutting? A live stream will be running here.

Previews

While the ribbon cutting is Tuesday, September 5, the first ticketed event isn’t until September 12. During that time, there will be media previews, a charity premiere September 8, and a tour for the public on September 9. More information on opening week activities can be found here.

Protests

A series of Kid Rock concerts will be the first ticketed events at the new arena. He’s also putting his name on a new restaurant in the complex. He may not have been the best choice for Olympia, and some people are upset about it. A protest is planned outside of the first concert September 12. More info on that can be found here.

Parking/Getting There

Olympia loves their parking, and they have plenty of it for visitors. There are a few garages nearby and all those surface lots.

Olympia Development

Prepaid parking spots will also be available through Ticketmaster.com, Parkwhiz.com, and a soon-to-be-released District Detroit app.

If parking nearby doesn’t sound too appealing, the QLINE stop outside the arena will be open. The free run on the QLINE has ended, so here’s what you need to know to pay to ride.

The Uber and Lyft pickup and drop off location will be at the I-75 service drive between Park Street and Woodward Avenue.

Arena and District Maps

The concourse itself, called the Via, will be open to the public on most days. Visitors will have to go through security. Here are some maps of the restaurants and shops around the arena.

The arena is just part of a larger plan that Olympia is calling the District Detroit. There’s a lot of construction in the area, including the Mike Ilitch School of Business right next door. While the arena will be shiny and new, be aware of what’s happening around it.

More info and photos to come later this week.