‘American Idol’ 2023 Finale: Every Guest Performer, Including Top 12 Contestants
ABC’s American Idol 2023 finale is nearly here, and fans can’t wait to see Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle, and Colin Stough hit the stage one final time for fan votes. By the end of the evening, one of the top three contestants will be crowned the winner. And throughout the evening, viewers will see several guest performances. Here’s every guest performer.
Every guest performer taking the stage during the ‘American Idol’ 2023 finale
The American Idol 2023 finale features the top three finalists singing songs of their own, but they’re not the only ones taking the stage. The night is filled with guest performances from American Idol alumni, the judges, and other notable stars.
So, who can viewers expect to see? Keith Urban will reportedly guest mentor the top three while also performing. The country superstar will likely greatly help finalists Colin Stough and Megan Danielle, as they’re both appealing to the American Idol country fan base.
Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, the American Idol Season 2 winner and second-place finisher, are also slated to perform. At the end of 2022, the duo announced their joint tour that would begin in April 2023 and finish in May 2023. They’ll have just finished the tour by the time they hit the American Idol 2023 finale stage.
Aiken discussed the tour on The View, according to Billboard. “We’re getting old, Ruben, we are about to celebrate our 20th anniversary from the year we were on Idol, and so Ruben and I are hitting the road together with a 20th-anniversary tour all across the country through the year,” Aiken said at the time. “We’re starting out this spring and we’re going to be celebrating the last 20 years since we did Idol and the music we’ve gotten to make and the friendships we made along the way.”
Other guest performers during the finale include Ellie Goulding, Jelly Roll, Pitbull, TLC, James Blunt, Jazmine Sullivan, REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin, Kylie Minogue, Lainey Wilson, and Lauren Daigle. Additionally, the three judges — Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan — will perform.
These 12 contestants from the season also return
Not only will fans see the final three during the American Idol 2023 finale, but the top 12 also return to perform. The top 12 (excluding the finalists) are:
Haven Madison
Lucy Love
Marybeth Byrd
Nutsa
Oliver Steele
Tyson Venegas
Warren Peay
Wé Ani
Zachariah Smith
According to Reddit, fans believe the top 12 performers (or, at least a few of the top 12) will sing duets with the guest judges. “From Marybeth’s Instagram, I think the top 12 will all be back,” a Reddit user wrote. “I don’t know if each of them will get a duet with one of the special guests.”
When is the ‘American Idol’ 2023 finale?
The American Idol 2023 finale airs on Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET and ends at 11 p.m. ET. Iam Tongi, Colin Stough, and Megan Danielle will debut their new songs during this timeframe, and America can cast their votes for the winner. The winner will be announced by the end of the episode.
Fans are ready to see who wins — and some fans on Reddit found Iam’s new single before the finale aired. “His new song is called ‘I’ll be Seeing You,'” a fan wrote. “He has part of it on Instagram and you can hear it and pre-save it there and on the link in IG to his bio.” The song released on Thursday, May 18, 2023.
ABC also renewed American Idol for another season.
American Idol Season 21 finale airs Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
