from “le détroit” · the strait
The Downtown Detroit Partnership brings Movie Nights in the D back to Campus Martius Park with nine free Friday screenings this summer.
Free outdoor movies return to Campus Martius Park this summer. The Downtown Detroit Partnership is running Movie Nights in the D as a nine week series of Friday evening screenings from July 3 through August 28, and admission is free.
The lineup mixes recent releases with older favorites. According to the Partnership's official event listings, the season opens July 3 with National Treasure and closes August 28 with High School Musical. In between, the schedule runs the 2025 live action Lilo and Stitch, A Minecraft Movie, Zootopia 2, Superman, and KPop Demon Hunters.
The full 2026 schedule, per the Downtown Detroit Partnership:
Screenings run from 7 to 9 p.m. The Partnership recommends arriving around 6 p.m. to find a spot on the lawn before the film starts, and guests are welcome to bring a chair or blanket. Closed captioning is offered for every title, and this year's series carries sponsorship from Gardner White. Popcorn from Jetta's Popcorn is available for purchase. No registration is required.
The series sits inside a much larger slate of free programming downtown. The Downtown Detroit Partnership says it cares for 18 parks and public spaces and is producing more than 1,200 events and programs across them this summer, from morning fitness classes to evening concerts and cultural nights.
"Downtown Detroit's parks are at the heart of how the city connects and grows," David Cowan, the Partnership's chief public spaces officer, said in the organization's summer announcement. He added that the programming is "designed with intention," meant to offer "free, meaningful experiences" across the city.
Campus Martius Park, at 800 Woodward Ave., anchors that effort. The Partnership notes the square was voted the top public space in the United States in 2024, and a free Friday film series is part of what keeps it busy through the warmer months. For start times and updates on other summer events in Downtown Detroit parks, visit downtowndetroit.org.
One dispatch a week. No tracking, no filler. Free, always.