It's time to choose your audition songs and do some vocal warm-ups, because American Idol is coming back on the air!
It's been some time since the ABC singing series announced Abi Carter as the 2024 winner, and audiences are ready to meet a whole new batch of aspiring musicians. Well, in a new post uploaded on Instagram on November 11, fans got an exciting update about when the new season will air on primetime TV.
As a video played with Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, new judge Carrie Underwood and host Ryan Seacrest seated at the famous judges' audition panel, they revealed that American Idol season 8 (season 23 overall in the franchise) will be back onscreen with new episodes starting March 9, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. And if that wasn't enough, the first installment will be a two-hour premiere.
"On March 9, new #AmericanIdol judge Carrie Underwood joins Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Ryan Seacrest on the season premiere on ABC & Stream on Hulu! 🎤🤩," read the official caption alongside the snippet.
While fans were initially super thrilled that American Idol delivered an exciting season update, some had concerns about the show coming back later than in previous years.
"Why so late!? That feels like forever away! 😢," one person wrote. "The season is starting late this year," another agreed. "March is too far away 😢," a different viewer added.
As some folks may remember, American Idol has been known to air in mid-February over the last few years. But it's important to note that when the show initially got rebooted on ABC, that first season (technically season 16 overall) actually premiered on March 11, 2018 — two days after the current season's premiere date.
So, while it may seem like some time before American Idol makes it back on our screens, we know it's definitely going to be worth it! And no matter the case, we'll be sure to mark our calendars for the season premiere.
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
