American Idol to relocate Season 25 production from Hollywood to Georgia

Fremantle confirms Atlanta as new production base

American Idol will relocate production from Hollywood to the Atlanta area for its upcoming 25th season, producer Fremantle confirmed on September 15, 2026. The ABC singing competition, produced by Fremantle with Sony Pictures Television-backed 19 Entertainment, is set to premiere in early 2027, and Fremantle is in final talks with a studio complex in Georgia, though no official deal has been signed yet.

Hollywood Week moves away from its namesake city

The relocation reshapes a long-standing signature of the franchise. Since the series premiere in 2002, judges have distributed physical Golden Tickets during the initial audition round as the contestants' entry to Hollywood Week. As production shifts to Atlanta, that iconic format will be staged outside Los Angeles for the first time. For Season 24, American Idol had already uprooted its typical Hollywood Week, holding that round in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tax incentives drive the exit from California

The move reflects widening cost pressures on California-based production. American Idol reportedly did not qualify for California's recently expanded tax credit program for unscripted productions, which applies only to large-scale competition series with a minimum budget of $1 million. Georgia offers an up to 30% tax credit for unscripted and reality television productions that spend up to $500,000 in the state, a threshold the series meets. The shift mirrors a broader migration: Fox's The Masked Singer has moved its upcoming 15th season out of California to New Jersey, and other game shows including The Floor, Beat Shazam and Name That Tune have relocated outside the state, with several moving outside the country.

Atlanta's standing as a production hub

Georgia, and Atlanta in particular, has become one of the main U.S. filming locations outside Los Angeles and New York. Marvel productions including Captain America: Brave New World and WandaVision have filmed in Atlanta, alongside Fox's The 1% Club. Producers have cited the state's tax incentives and infrastructure as key draws for both scripted and unscripted series.

Judges and host expected to return

Season 24's judging panel of Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood, with Ryan Seacrest as host, is expected to return for Season 25, which is set to premiere in January 2027.

What remains unsettled

Fremantle has not yet finalized a studio agreement in the Atlanta area, and it is unclear how the Hollywood Week format will be adapted to the new location.