They don’t call it Detroit Rock City for nothing. The Tonight Show is using its first-ever visit to the Motor City to bring back one of its most-loved music-themed segments.

Lip Sync Battle was out of mothballs and on stage at The Detroit Opera House Sunday, as Jimmy Fallon taped tonight’s special edition of The Tonight Show.

Fallon’s challenger was Detroit native Keegan-Michael Key, who we hear performed a pair of Motown-themed songs.

Originated by Fallon during his run on NBC’s Late Night, Lip Sync Battle continued to be a staple of his early Tonight Show years with a handful of appearances a year, eventually spawning its own five-season spinoff series on Spike TV that aired from 2015-2019.

The segment’s last appearance on The Tonight Show proper was nearly five years ago, during a COVID era episode in 2020 when Fallon and Millie Bobby Brown competed remotely via Zoom. It’s not clear why the show stopped producing new segments.

Key and Fallon were also spotted earlier Sunday in attendance at Ford Field as the Detroit Lions kicked off their 2025 home opener against the Chicago Bears. 

Fallon’s visit to Detroit marks The Tonight Show’s first road show since 2019 when he visited Puerto Rico. The episode is being presented in partnership with Ford Motor Company, which appears to be helping make the production possible. 

In addition to Key, Fallon’s guests tonight also include Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham, and rapper Common.

The Tonight Show’s Detroit episode is set to air tonight at 11:35pm ET/PT on NBC. Visit our lineups area for updated guest listings for all the late-night shows, and subscribe to our newsletter to get stories like this in your inbox.