American Idol is returning in early 2026, and this time, audiences will sit via a unique expertise. With modifications to the voting strategies and even to Hollywood Week, followers of the fact TV competitors collection are additionally gearing as much as watch Idol alum Carrie Underwood take the judges’ desk once more with Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. So, with out additional ado, all of us want to search out out the premiere date of season 24.
Hollywood Life has all the small print on Idol’s twenty fourth season under.
What’s Completely different About American Idol in 2026?
Briefly, quite a bit is completely different with American Idol now. The voting is without doubt one of the first main modifications that followers can be launched to. Audiences will now be capable to vote for his or her favourite singers reside on social media.
Showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick defined to Deadline that they needed to “meet the viewers the place they’re,” particularly with the present generations consuming leisure.
“If we are able to get Gen Alpha and Gen Z to weigh in a bit bit extra within the simplest way attainable, that’s very thrilling,” Megan advised the outlet. “It may tip the dimensions. Tendencies are all the time completely different. We have now to fulfill the viewers the place they’re. Again in 2002, when the present started, texting was the brand new sizzling factor. We even have to fulfill the expertise the place it’s, as nicely. We wish to make it as straightforward as attainable for folks to vote for his or her favorites, weigh in from their sofa with their second display, in actual time.”
The opposite distinction with Idol this time round is that Hollywood Week is happening in Nashville, Tennessee, as a substitute of Los Angeles, California. Pretaped auditions have been held at Belmont College in Nashville. So, there is perhaps a unique ring to the collection’ well-known catchphrase, “You’re going to Hollywood!”
When Does American Idol Season 24 Premiere? 2026 Launch Date
Season 24 of American Idol premieres Monday, January 26, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.
How Can I Watch American Idol Stay?
Followers can tune into American Idol on ABC each Monday beginning in late January 2026. For cable cutters, episodes can be out there to stream on Hulu the following day.
