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Is American Idol back in 2026? Season 24 updates
American Idol announced that the show will return for another season, it looks like the judges—Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie—will all return.
The season finale of American Idol had fans on the edge of their seats. Everyone was excited to see who would win the competition. Finalists Jamal, John Foster, and Breanna Nix gave powerful performances, and viewers watched closely to see what the judges—Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie—would say.
In the end, there could only be one winner, and that was Jamal!
But just as one season ends, another one is getting ready to begin. There are new contestants coming and plenty of surprises ahead. And yes — the show is coming back!
Right before the finale, American Idol shared exciting news on Instagram. They announced that the show will return for another season. Season 24 (season 9 since the show moved to ABC) will premiere in 2026. The post said:
"Dim the lights... here we go," and added, "#AmericanIdol is coming back for another season! 🎶."
Also Read: American Idol 2025 winner: Who won the finale today?
It looks like the judges—Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie—will all return. Ryan Seacrest will also be back as the host.
Carrie took Katy Perry’s spot on the judging panel after Katy left the show in early 2024. Carrie knows the show well—she won season 4 in 2005. She even shared memories from her American Idol days in her YouTube series Idol to Icon and sang some of the songs she performed back then.
How to watch American Idol?
When season 24 begins, fans can watch new episodes every Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Don’t have cable or a TV? No problem! You can also watch live on ABC’s website. Or, you can use streaming services like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling, or FuboTV. Just make sure to sign up first.
If you’d rather watch later, that works too. New episodes will be on Hulu the next day. Hulu’s plans start at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Once you sign up, you can watch American Idol anytime on the Hulu website or app.
