Breaking: 2020 Detroit Auto Show CANCELLED — TCF Center Will Serve As Field Hospital In Coronavirus Battle Instead

FEMA will use the venue for at least the next six months, according to a recent memo

What Could the Detroit Auto Show's Transition to June 2020 Mean For Consumers?
This conceptual drawing shows what the 2020 Detroit Auto Show was supposed to be like when it opened this summer — the first time the auto show would be held in June, rather than January.

This was supposed to be a watershed year for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Instead, the Detroit Free Press reports today that the show has been cancelled. The show’s organizers broke the news through in a memo Saturday, according to the Freep‘s report, as the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) chose the TCF Center — formerly known as the Cobo Center — to become a field hospital for coronavirus cases for at least the next six months.

At this time, auto show officials have not commented on the memo itself, but the Free Press did say it obtained a copy showing the TCF center will not host the auto show as normal this year. Instead, the show will resume in June 2021.

The news follows a tumultuous string of other headlining cancellations, as COVID-19 cases continue to rack up throughout the United States. As of Saturday, there are more than 103,000 confirmed cases in all 50 states. This was the first year the Detroit Auto Show was set to happen outside a January time frame. The organizers settled on moving the show to accommodate more outdoor events during the summer along the riverfront.

This is a developing story — stay tuned for more updates, as we’ll update this post as new information is available.