Detroit guide to Movement Music Festival preparties, afterparties

Music lovers are days away from an annual Detroit tradition — the Memorial Day weekend Movement Music Festival at Hart Plaza. 

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the event  features a slate of local, national and international artists such as Detroit techno pioneers Carl Craig and Kevin Saunderson, along with jessica Care moore, Carl Cox, Barry Can’t Swim and many more. Movement runs from Saturday to Monday.

Just as popular as the festival itself are the official and unofficial Movement preparties and afterparties outside Hart Plaza. Bars and clubs across the city participate, from Spkrbox to MotorCity Wine to Northern Lights. It’s a fun alternative for those who don’t want to attend the festival or can’t afford to pay the $227 general admission ticket for Movement.

Mayor Mary Sheffield even recognized the significance of Movement and festival-related events by proclaiming May 18-25 as Detroit Techno Week. 

Two other popular Detroit venues hosting events during Movement weekend are Islandview’s Spot Lite and Corktown’s UFO Bar, both owned by Roula David. Paxahau, the event company behind Movement, is hosting an official opening party at Spot Lite on Friday, along with two after-parties on Saturday and Sunday. 

UFO is hosting the unofficial pre-party “Hold Me” on Friday, and after-parties on Saturday and Monday. 

The opening party at Spot Lite is $44, while the “Hold Me” party at UFO is $22.

David told BridgeDetroit she’s been working with Paxahau for 15 years, back when she was establishing the now-closed art gallery Red Bull Arts Detroit. In addition,1xRUN, the company David runs with her husband, Jesse Cory, offers the Movement Artist In Residence (AIR) program. The program features local artists showcasing immersive art installations and large-scale murals placed throughout the festival. 

“When we opened Spot Lite, it was just a natural progression to work with our friends, and we’ve had a really wonderful relationship and a beautiful friendship that allows for great collaboration,” David said. 

Spot Lite began hosting Movement parties during its first year in 2021. But due to the pandemic, the festival was scaled down to a “Micro Movement,” with a limited lineup spread across three Detroit venues: Spot Lite, TV Lounge and Magic Stick Alley Deck. 

When David became owner of the UFO Bar, formerly UFO Factory, in 2024, she started offering Movement parties there the following year. 

“We just love kicking off the weekend with our friends at Paxahau,” she said. “This year, (at the opening party) we have Barclay Crenshaw, who also goes by Claude VonStroke. It’s going to be a really fun, bass-heavy, ghetto tech, kind of hip-hop fusion party. One of the biggest themes that we wanted to have this year with the parties was the idea of fun.” 

According to David, one of the best parties of the weekend is where DJ Minx performs. The Detroit artist is part of the lineup for the official Movement closing party at Spot Lite on Memorial Day called “House Your Life.”

“Minx has her annual party with us,” David said. “It’s probably the busiest, craziest, wildest party we have, but it’s always super high energy.” 

Meanwhile at UFO, the precursor to this weekend’s parties is the event, “Planet Home: The Soft Launch,” at 4 p.m. Thursday, featuring DJs who left Detroit, came back, or those who never left, David said. The lineup includes 999ADJ, Joshua Orange and Something Blue. 

During Movement weekend, David is looking forward to seeing friends from out of town, meeting new DJs and the pride Detroiters have in showing off the city to newcomers. 

“That whole combination just makes this week really special for us,” she said. “And just watching our teams rally to make this week very beautiful for our guests. The unsung heroes in most of this are the bartenders, the managers, the security; the ones that wish that they were at the party, but actually work the party. I’m always so proud to see how everybody gets together and really provides top-notch hospitality during this week.” 

Here’s a list of some of the Movement pre-parties and after-parties taking place this weekend: