What To Know
- American Idol is moving locations for Season 25.
- The show will now be filming in Georgia instead of Los Angeles.
- It is the latest reality show to leave Los Angeles following The Masked Singer’s move to New Jersey this year.
We’re still several months away from a new season of American Idol, but there will be some big changes in place when the show returns in 2027. While we’re still waiting to find out if Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie will return as judges, Deadline reported on September 15 that Idol is getting a big location change for its 25th season.
Fremantle, the company that produces American Idol with 19 Entertainment and Sony Pictures, confirmed to the outlet that production will be relocating from Los Angeles to Georgia for Season 25. Per Deadline, the company is in the midst of making a deal with a studio complex in the Atlanta area, although nothing has been solidified yet.
American Idol previously filmed at Red Studios in Hollywood. However, in Season 24, the post-audition Hollywood Week round moved to Nashville, although the live shows later in the season were still filmed in L.A.
ABC
The reason for the shift is likely financial, as Georgia offers a tax credit of up to 30% for unscripted and reality television programs that spend at least $500,000 in the state, according to Deadline. The Masked Singer recently moved its production from Los Angeles to New Jersey for a similar reason, as the East Coast state “offers production tax incentives of 30% on qualified expenses with up to 40% on certain studio projects,” with unscripted shows qualifying, per Deadline.
In 2025, California legislators introduced tax credits for unscripted productions for the first time ever, but only shows with a budget of $1 million per episode are eligible, and American Idol reportedly does not meet the criteria. This has sent film crews looking for other locations to shoot, and FilmLA reported that Los Angeles has seen a 62.7% drop in reality television production over the last five years, per Deadline.
American Idol’s virtual auditions have already begun for Season 25, and the in-person auditions usually film at some point in October or early November. Deadline reports that Underwood, Richie, and Lionel are “expected” to return, but ABC has not confirmed who is on the judges’ panel yet.
American Idol, Season 25, 2027, ABC