The North American International Auto Show will return to its traditional mid-January dates after a shift away from winter that fell afoul of COVID-19 and automakers’ reduced reliance on auto shows.

Rod Alberts, executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, told the Free Press on Thursday that the 2025 Detroit auto show will begin with the Charity Preview the night of Friday, Jan. 10, and conclude on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 20. The DADA runs the Detroit show.

The move has been under consideration for some time.

More:4 questions key to Detroit keeping its Motor City nickname in 2024

“The pandemic was a pivotal moment for auto shows and other large events,” said Ayalla Ruvio, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University. “The pandemic changed consumer behavior, and it’s not changing back.” 

The Detroit auto show began in 1899 and evolved into an international media event as the North American International Show in 1989.