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2020 Detroit Auto Show canceled as venue becomes a field hospital

The automotive showcase won't return until June 2021.

Yet another major 2020 auto show has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although now it's less about timing and more about supporting the current fight. Organizers have canceled the Detroit Auto Show (officially the North American International Auto Show) as its venue, the TCF Center, is being turned into a field hospital for coronavirus patients. The next show now won't take place until June 2021, or over two and a half years after the last event.

Producers had moved the show from January to June to avoid clashing with other events. This was also supposed to enable outdoor events and even test drives that weren't practical during a Michigan winter.

The Detroit gathering has long been an important show for American automakers, not to mention foreign brands hoping to make a splash in the region. More recently, though, it has served as a showcase for brands of all kinds as they venture into electric cars and connected tech. Companies will still introduce new vehicles, including at later auto shows if all goes well -- it's just going to be much harder to see these introductions in person, and there might not be as much fanfare.