The Detroit Auto Show’s Charity Preview is in January, and organizers announced on Wednesday that Robin Thicke will be the headliner with Detroit rapper Trick Trick making a special appearance.
The annual black tie event, set for Jan. 16, 2026, at Huntington Place in Detroit, will support six children’s charities in Southeast Michigan. Detroit native DJ Rimarkable will also perform, and former NBA star Jalen Rose will serve as master of ceremonies.
“We’re grateful for the widespread community support Charity Preview has received and are especially gratified to see the multi-generational audiences who attend,” Detroit Auto Show chairman Todd Szott said in a news release. “It’s been 50 years since the first Charity Preview event, and attendees still generously rally around it, supporting children in our community while enjoying everything that personifies the spirit and innovation of the Motor City – from music to mobility.”
Tickets for the Charity Preview will go on sale on Friday. For more information, visit the Detroit Auto Show website.
Since 1976, the event has raised more than $125 million for children’s charities. Charities that are the beneficiaries this year are Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, The Children’s Center, The Children’s Foundation, Detroit Auto Dealers Association Charitable Foundation Fund, Detroit PAL, and the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
The 2026 Detroit Auto Show is set for Jan. 14-25. The media and industry programming will be Jan. 14 and 15, and the public is invited to see the show Jan. 17-25.
The 2025 show featured 34 brands and nearly 500 vehicles. Organizers estimated that hundreds of thousands of people attended this year’s show, bringing $370 million to the city of Detroit.
The show was moved back to its January slot this year after it was hosted in 2022, 2023 and 2024.