Since “American Idol” first launched in 2002, the show’s celebrity judges have rewarded talented singers who nailed their auditions with a golden ticket and four words they all dreamed of hearing: “You’re going to Hollywood!”
But in 2026, fans have likely noticed that judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie have subtly switched up the iconic saying, declaring instead, “You’re going to Hollywood Week!” That’s because for season 24, the show’s most iconic round of competition won’t be held in Hollywood, but in Nashville — starting with the February 23 episode.
‘American Idol’ Judges Will Make ‘Biggest Hollywood Cut’ in Show’s History
DisneyHistorically, Hollywood Week has been known as an intense and drama-filled round of competition that reveals the cream of the crop. Typically, only a fraction of the talent who made it through auditions get to move on after surviving late nights, collaborations with fellow talent, and massive cuts.
But in October, ABC announced the high-stakes round will be known as “Hollywood Week: Music City Takeover” for season 24. In a press release, the network said that there will be “one round only as the hopefuls from all musical genres take the stage for a make-or-break performance, facing the biggest Hollywood Week cut in ‘Idol’ history.”The round was filmed in November, according to On Camera Audiences, at Belmont University’s Fisher Center. The school has also been the site of all of season 24’s auditions, which has been another big change for the show. Typically, the judges have visited multiple cities to see aspiring talent, but filming at Belmont has fit into its “Idol University” theme for the year.
After Hollywood Week, 30 hopefuls will move on to the round in Hawaii, held annually at Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa. Of those singers, 20 will perform onstage before a live audience.
While filming there in late January, executive producer Megan Michaels Woflick told Billboard, “We are doing an extra episode here at Aulani and it comes after Hollywood Week and before America’s vote.”
“Hollywood Week is its own vortex through time and space so we wanted to see how we could inform the judges about who is resonating with different groups,” she explained. “It’s a social experiment. In my mind, the Ohana round is the ultimate focus group.”
“You have three groups of people,” she continued. “You have the Idols. You have the families and then we’ve curated a select group of influencers and music and industry experts to come in from their point of view. I wanted to see who would be the favorite in each of these groups. It’s always interesting – the singer’s singer, it’s a very sensitive thing, like a painter analyzing a painting. The families are the voice of the people.”