ALLEN PARK — For the third consecutive year, the Detroit Lions’ Family Fest, the team’s open practice traditionally held at Ford Field, will once again be put on hold.
“Due to stadium availability and our Lions schedule, we are unable to host Family Fest this year as it has been in the past few seasons (WWE SummerSlam, concerts, etc.),” a Lions spokesperson confirmed to MLive.
Based on the Lions’ training camp schedule and Ford Field’s event calendar, the most likely opportunity to hold it this year would have been a few days after the team’s Aug. 8 preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
However, Grammy Award-winning artist Chris Brown will host his “Breezy Bowl XX” concert at Ford Field on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8, celebrating his 20 years in the music industry. Given the team’s schedule and the likely extensive breakdown of the concert setup, hosting the event that weekend would have posed a complex turnaround for Ford Field’s event staff.
Last year, the popular Lions event, which began in 2015, was paused due to an Aug. 10 concert at Ford Field featuring Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney, and Uncle Kracker.
The same situation occurred in 2023, when World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) occupied the venue for its annual “SummerSlam” premium live event.
The last Lions Family Fest, held in 2022, drew 18,000 fans for the open practice, the highest attendance since the event’s inception. It remains unclear when, or if, the event will return.
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