By Joshua Long, Director, Data Program
An Official Detroit Holiday.
The Unofficial Start of Spring.
Detroit Call-in-Sick Day.
Whatever you call it, Detroit Tigers Opening Day has evolved into one of the most cherished traditions for Detroiters near and far. While we may never be able to capture how many called in sick to work to head Downtown on April 3 (but we know you’re out there), there are a lot of numbers the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) Data team can capture. We’re excited to report on the success of Opening Day 2026.
Detroit sports fans have never been fair-weather fans, but it helped that both Mother Nature and the team performed remarkably well, setting the stage for an unforgettable day.
Standing Room Only
On April 3, Downtown saw more than 200,000 visitors between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. — an increase of nearly 40,000 people or 24 percent over 2025.
Comerica Park turnstiles recorded a sellout crowd of 45,008. This marked the largest Opening Day attendance since 2017.
The game, as well as events around Opening Day, such as the DDP’s 4th Annual Free Opening Day Tailgate Party (more below), drew visitors from throughout the city, region, state, and beyond.
While 94 percent of Downtown visitors were from Michigan, mostly Detroit and Southeast Michigan, we tracked outstate attendees from Traverse City, Petoskey, and the Upper Peninsula. Our data also tracked a sizable number of out-of-state visitors.
Of the 200,000 visitors Downtown during opening day celebrations, these 10 states had the largest number of representatives:
At Grand Circus Park, the DDP hosted its Free Opening Day Tailgate Party, presented by Miller Lite and supported by Lake Michigan Credit Union. More than 28,000 visitors attended—a 21 percent increase over last year. Fans enjoyed themselves so much that they stayed longer than usual, and the park was at capacity for much of the day. Otherwise, attendance would likely have been higher.
Boys in Blue Bring Lots of Green
Critically important for the city and its businesses, Opening Day has a substantial economic impact. Using standard estimations of how much visitors spend on average at restaurants and bars, , Downtown restaurants registered just over $624,000 and bars and pubs just under $750,000 in receipts. The Data team estimates are based on the number of visitors from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. in the 1.2-square-mile Downtown footprint, but we know fan spending extended far into the city and suburbs.
Our data reveals hotels and casinos also fared extremely well. Based on our tracking tools, we estimate roughly 11,000 people who attended the game or a nearby event like the DDP party, went to a hotel or casino afterwards generating potentially $2.5 million in revenue.
With more than 70 home games still left in the regular season, you immediately begin to see the potential of this team on and off the field.
Go get ‘em, Tigers.
Joshua Long is director of the Downtown Detroit Partnership’s Data Program.
Josh works closely with the City of Detroit, Downtown developers, and business owners to track city building development and economic impacts, develop growth metrics, manage special projects, and calculate special assessments. He received a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan and has worked in the public sector, private sector consulting, and nonprofit data worlds.
