'American Idol' to Debut Many Major Changes for Season 24 on ABC

American Idol‘s 24th season will be debuting on ABC next week and you can expect some major changes to the format of the show.

This is the ninth season of the show on ABC and the second season with Carrie Underwood at the judges table. She’ll be joined by returning judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, as longtime host Ryan Seacrest.

The network decided to make some changes heading into the 2026 installment.

“There’s always an immense amount of pressure regarding how we level up. What do we do that’s different? We don’t know who is going to come across our door, but we want to use the momentum of last season to bring in new people and fire them up,” showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick told Deadline.

So, what’s different?

Keep reading to find out more…

PREMIERING EARLIER THAN USUAL
American Idol‘s 24th season is debuting on January 26, which is the earliest it has ever aired during its tenure on ABC. The show usually premieres at the end of February or beginning of March, though it used to premiere in January when it was on Fox.

NEW NIGHT AND TIME SLOT
The show will be airing on Mondays at 8pm this year, instead of the usual Sunday night time slot in the past.

“The beginning of the year is awards season and a lot of these award shows are on Sunday nights. You’re up against the Grammys and the Super Bowl. Let’s see what happens on Monday,” Michaels Wolflick told Deadline.

AUDITIONS ONLY IN NASHVILLE
While Idol has traditionally traveled the country for the auditions round, they were all held in Nashville this year. Potential contestants were allowed to submit virtual auditions ahead of the in-person round in Nashville.

“That’s a risk,” Michaels Wolflick told Deadline. “We’re not having different rooms to cut to, is that a problem? We don’t know until we do it. I love that there’s something exciting about it. Even if it’s a failure, it’s still an adrenaline rush to try something new. It did work out, though.”

NO MORE HOLLYWOOD WEEK
There traditionally was a months-long period in-between the auditions and the filming of Hollywood Week, but that was eliminated this time. Instead of going to Hollywood for the next round, contestants stayed in Nashville and then second round of the competition was filmed right away.

Michaels Wolflick told Deadline, “The momentum of getting through, getting a golden ticket, making it to Hollywood in the past has been maybe sometimes months. There was a momentum that I wanted to experiment with. The music industry in Nashville is just as strong as it is in LA, too. It is a hub and a dream for people to go to.”

NEW OHANA ROUND IN HAWAII
After the Nashville Week, the top 30 contestants were flown to Hawaii for the new “Ohana Round,” in which they performed for industry tastemakers like journalists, social media content creators, and singers. The top 20 contestants move on to the next round.

SOCIAL MEDIA VOTING
Fans will now be able to vote using social media, in addition to the traditional text and phone voting.

“If we can get Gen Alpha and Gen Z to weigh in a little bit more in the easiest way possible, that’s very exciting. It could tip the scale. Trends are always different,” Michaels Wolflick told Deadline

Check out the episode guide below!

Episode 1 – Auditions, Part 1 – January 26
Episode 2 – Auditions, Part 2 – February 2
Episode 3 – Auditions, Part 3 – February 9
Episode 4 – Auditions, Part 4 – February 16
Episode 5 – Hollywood Week in Music City, Part 1 – February 23
Episode 6 – Hollywood Week in Music City, Part 2 – March 2
Episode 7 – Ohana Round – March 9
Episode 8 – Top 20 at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii, Part 1 – March 16
Episode 9 – Top 20 at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii, Part 2 – March 23
And more episodes to be announced…

Check out 13 former Idol contestants who quit or were disqualified, including a major star.