«American Idol is back: the new season starts on January 26, 2026»
25 january 2026 в 02:28
American Idol is returning in early 2026, and this time viewers can expect a completely new experience. With changes in voting methods and even in Hollywood Week, fans of the reality show are preparing to see Idol alum Carrie Underwood take a judge’s seat alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. So, without further ado, we all need to know the premiere date of Season 24.
Hollywood Life shared all the details about Season 24 of Idol below.
In short, a lot has changed with American Idol. One of the first major changes viewers will encounter is voting. Now, viewers will be able to vote for their favorite performers in real-time through social media.
Showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick explained to Deadline that they want to «meet the audience where they are», - especially considering how modern generations consume entertainment.
«If we can engage Generation Alpha and Generation Z in voting in the simplest way, that’s really exciting», - Megan told the publication. «It could change the game. Trends are always different. We have to meet the audience where they are. In 2002, when the show started, texting was the new cool thing. We also have to consider the technology that exists now. We want to make voting for favorite performers as easy as possible so that people can vote from their couches, using a second screen, in real-time».
Another difference this season is that Hollywood Week will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, instead of Los Angeles, California. The preliminary auditions were held at Belmont University in Nashville. So the famous phrase from the show, «You're going to Hollywood!» may sound a bit different.
Season 24 of American Idol premieres on Monday, January 26, 2026, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.
Fans will be able to watch American Idol on ABC every Monday starting in late January 2026. For those who have cut the cable cord, episodes will be available for streaming on Hulu the next day
Hollywood Life shared all the details about Season 24 of Idol below.
In short, a lot has changed with American Idol. One of the first major changes viewers will encounter is voting. Now, viewers will be able to vote for their favorite performers in real-time through social media.
Showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick explained to Deadline that they want to «meet the audience where they are», - especially considering how modern generations consume entertainment.
«If we can engage Generation Alpha and Generation Z in voting in the simplest way, that’s really exciting», - Megan told the publication. «It could change the game. Trends are always different. We have to meet the audience where they are. In 2002, when the show started, texting was the new cool thing. We also have to consider the technology that exists now. We want to make voting for favorite performers as easy as possible so that people can vote from their couches, using a second screen, in real-time».
Another difference this season is that Hollywood Week will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, instead of Los Angeles, California. The preliminary auditions were held at Belmont University in Nashville. So the famous phrase from the show, «You're going to Hollywood!» may sound a bit different.
Season 24 of American Idol premieres on Monday, January 26, 2026, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.
Fans will be able to watch American Idol on ABC every Monday starting in late January 2026. For those who have cut the cable cord, episodes will be available for streaming on Hulu the next day
© Artemenko Olga
