Your Guide to Attending a Detroit City FC Match

Story by Max White

Detroit City FC is gearing up for an electrifying start to the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs, and Keyworth Stadium will be the place to be!

Also known as Le Rouge, which is French for “The Red,” going to a DCFC game is an experience unlike any other in the city of Detroit.

Le Rouge will face off against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in their first ever trip to the USL Championship Playoffs, bringing the thrill of playoff soccer back to Detroit for the first time since 2021. With Detroit City’s best finish in the USL standings yet and fresh off a powerful 4-1 victory over San Antonio FC, the team is more than ready to take on the Rowdies.

What started in 2010 as some people playing soccer on a pitch on Belle Isle has grown to thousands of fans attending games at a historic stadium in Hamtramck – Keyworth Stadium.

Attending a DCFC game at Keyworth is unlike any other sporting event you’ll go to, and it’s something everyone should check out. Between the men’s and women’s teams, there are at least 20 home matches people can attend this year.

If you’re planning on going to a match, we have a guide to how you should spend the day between Detroit and Hamtramck, celebrating Le Rouge.

Before the Game

One place to hang out a few hours before the game is the Detroit City Fieldhouse. It’s located at 3401 E. Lafayette and is just over a mile east of Downtown Detroit. It’s home to a ton of different soccer leagues, and the Detroit City Clubhouse, a soccer bar and restaurant.

While you’re there, drink some Stroh’s beer or other local craft beer, try some of the different hand pies, and grab some Le Rouge merchandise from the store inside the clubhouse.

After that, you can head for a walk along the Detroit Riverfront if you want to take a break, or head toward Eastern Market on the weekend to see what’s going on. While you’re there, you can check out Thomas Magee’s Sporting House and Whiskey Bar, another great place for soccer fans to try some special whiskeys from around the world and catch the best soccer matches.

Another option is to head to Downtown Detroit and check out some of the different sports bars in the city. There’s Harry’s Detroit, right near Little Caesars Arena, the Detroiter Bar, or any of the bars and sportsbooks at the three different casinos. That’s where you can see all of the action happening from around the country.

The March to the Match is one of the coolest experiences in all of Detroit sports. The Fowling Warehouse in Hamtramck is the official pre-match bar of DCFC, and is the perfect place to get the party started.

Located less than a half a mile from the stadium, the Fowling Warehouse is a great place for drinks and fun ahead of the game. You can bring in your own food, try a few local beers, and check-in on the Detroit Brew Trail, then play fowling ­– an incredibly fun combination of football and bowling.

If you’re up to it, the Fowling Warehouse also has a mystery beer vending machine, where you can get a mystery beer for $2 or $4.

Then, gather with the hundreds of other fans and take off on the March to the Match, which goes from the Fowling Warehouse, through the streets of Hamtramck to Keyworth Stadium. There are fans, flags, smoke, drums, chants and so much more. It’s something everyone should experience at least once.

At the Match

After finishing the March to the Match and arriving into Keyworth Stadium, you’ll feel the sense of pride continuing for Le Rouge. No matter how many people you’re with or their ages, there are things to do for everyone at the game.

Most of the seating is general admission, and on the east side of the stadium, you’ll see the standing supporter section which is filled with the die-hard DCFC fans. If you’re up for it, it’s a fun experience that includes fun chants, dances, and a ton of colorful smoke. So much that it sometimes stops the game.

There are also plenty of food options at the game. Instead of the concession stands you’re used to at other professional stadiums, you’ll find nearly a dozen different food trucks at Keyworth Stadium for DCFC games. Those can often include Amicci’s Pizza, Balkan House, Royal Kabob, Slow’s 2 Go, Nosh Pit and many more.

There are also former shipping containers that have been turned into stands for beer, whiskey, Faygo and more. It’s all about Detroit and Michigan at a DCFC game.

Parking is also very easy for the game if you don’t go to the march to the match. They have a variety of options, including free parking at the Hamtramck Town Center, less than a half-mile from the stadium, pre-paid parking at some different lots, and more. Avoid residential street parking on some of the streets, reserved for residents only.

After the Game

If you’re in town or ready to have some more fun after the game, then it’s time to head back to Downtown Detroit to check out some of the different bars or grab some late-night snacks.

You can’t beat a coney at either Lafayette or American, located right next to each other just a block away from Campus Martius Park. You can also head to Checker Bar, where you can get a Detroit original burger or try their pizza. Make sure you add the shoestring fries.

If you’re looking for some cocktails, be sure to check out Candy Bar, inside the Siren Hotel. It has a candy-pink colored décor, with different martinis and cocktails.

There’s also Bad Luck Bar, located through an alley in Downtown Detroit. They are reservation-only, so make sure to plan ahead of time.

If you want to try something different, check out The Shelby, which is inside the basement of a building and even inside a bank vault. You have to go through Coffee Down Under, a coffee shop, to get there.

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