The Oscars are packing up their golden statues and leaving Hollywood’s Dolby Theater behind.
In a stunning shake-up, the Oscars will move to the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, LA Live, starting with the 101st ceremony in 2029.
It was the same year that the show made an unprecedented broadcast jump from ABC to YouTube.
The announcement was made Thursday, March 26, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the AEG.
This sets the stage for a decade-long partnership that will see the Oscars take place in the same venue that hosted the Emmys in recent years.
The move represents a dramatic return to downtown Los Angeles, where the ceremony once reigned at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and later the Shrine Auditorium, before moving to Hollywood’s Kodak (now Dolby) Theater in 2002.
AEG plans sweeping upgrades to the Peacock Theater’s stage, sound, lighting and backstage areas to meet the Oscars’ exacting standards.
The expanded LA Live plaza will serve as the red carpet hub, promising a show blending tradition and modernity.
The timing is no coincidence.
The Academy’s new deal with YouTube, granting exclusive global streaming rights starting in 2029, marks a bold reinvention of the Oscars brand.
The move to LA Live, adjacent to the Crypto.com Arena and surrounded by luxury hotels and nightlife, positions the ceremony as both a cultural and commercial juggernaut.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor welcomed the partnership, saying, “For the 101st Academy Awards and beyond, the Academy looks forward to working closely with AEG to make LA Live the perfect backdrop for our global celebration of cinema.”
Todd Goldstein, AEG’s chief revenue officer, added some intrigue of his own: “…there is no bigger global stage than the Oscars. We are proud to partner with the Academy to reimagine what the Oscars can look and feel like in the years to come. Together, we will create an environment that celebrates creativity, honors excellence, and delivers an unforgettable experience for moviegoers around the world.”
The Oscars will remain at the Dolby Theater until the 100th ceremony in 2028, broadcast live on ABC.
But after that, the world’s most glamorous night will undergo its most radical transformation in decades.
