City's Free 'Live! At Nankin' Summer Concert Series Continues With Selena Tribute Show July 17

At 5 p.m. tonight, when doors open for Westland's free Selena tribute show at Nankin Square, the city's curb-to-curb transit service is scheduled to stop running. For older residents and people with disabilities who cannot drive, that timing makes the concert a test of who can actually reach the city's public gathering space.

The city will present 512: The Selena Experience as part of the inaugural Live! at Nankin series, a lineup of free Friday-night concerts at the new amphitheater, 7200 Nankin Blvd. Westland built the venue around the idea that residents could share in it, regardless of income. But for families avoiding ticket prices, seniors and neighbors without cars, a free concert still hinges on whether people can get there.

Doors open at 5 p.m., with live music from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Residents who drive can park free at Westland City Hall, 36300 Warren Rd.; the Westland Shopping Center west lot; and along Nankin Boulevard. SMART Bus Route 210 stops at Nankin Boulevard and Warren Road on Friday nights until 1:27 a.m., but buses come roughly every 90 minutes.

The Nankin Transit Commission offers curb-to-curb service for eligible residents 55 and older and residents with disabilities in Westland, Wayne, Garden City, Inkster or Canton, charging $3 each way. Riders must call 734-729-2710 to schedule a trip, with at least one day's notice for non-medical rides and two days for medical appointments. Riders must also use exact cash or SMART tickets because drivers cannot make change. But the service runs only Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on weekends—meaning it is unavailable during the concert's 5-to-8:30 p.m. Friday window. For seniors and residents with disabilities who cannot drive and cannot navigate a fixed-route bus, no curb-to-curb option exists during the Friday evening hours.

That mismatch matters at a site built with significant public funding. The 3.7-acre park and amphitheater rose on the former blighted Service Merchandise site at a cost of $12 million and can accommodate up to 4,000 standing spectators. The project received $8.5 million from the city's Tax Increment Finance Authority, $2.5 million from Wayne County, $1 million from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and $250,000 from the federal government.

Mayor Kevin Coleman said the series is meant to "bring residents together all summer long while showcasing everything that makes Westland a great place to live, work, and play." Mayor Kevin Coleman told TV20 Detroit at the park's opening that the concert series was programmed free "so everybody could enjoy it."

Free admission moves Westland toward that goal for residents priced out of ticketed entertainment. But the city's transit schedule still leaves eligible older adults and residents with disabilities without curb-to-curb transportation to Friday evening concerts. The strongest benefit, for now, goes to people who can drive, arrange a ride or navigate the fixed-route bus system.

Nankin Square opened with a June 19, 2026, soft launch featuring a Guns N' Roses tribute band, followed by Coleman's official ribbon-cutting June 26, 2026. The inaugural series also includes Warped Tourists, Larry Lee & Back In The Day Band, Epic Eagles, Alise King, Your Girlfriend's Favorite Cover Band, The Crampton Brothers, and Rock Rewind tributes to Nirvana, Linkin Park and Creed on Aug. 28. Beyond concerts, programming includes yoga, dance classes, movies in the park and food truck festivals.

Westland's 2026-27 budget includes $91.6 million in general-fund spending, including money for community programming and events, but the city has not publicly released attendance figures, demographic breakdowns or survey results showing who attends the concerts, how they travel to the venue, or what steps it is taking to close the gap between curb-to-curb transit hours and evening event schedules.

Coleman was re-elected unopposed in November 2025 for a full four-year term beginning in January 2026.

The inaugural Live! at Nankin series continues with Friday-night concerts through Aug. 28. Whether Westland's investment in accessible public culture delivers on Mayor Kevin Coleman's promise that "everybody could enjoy it" depends on whether the city tracks who is attending, addresses the transit service gap, and adjusts its programming to reach residents who face real barriers to participation.