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ABC’s American Idol 2023 finale marks the end of the 21st season of the series, and fans can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next season. ABC officially announced that the show is renewed. So, when is American Idol 2024 hitting the small screen? Here’s what we know.

'American Idol' 2023 judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and host Ryan Seacrest standing next to each other
‘American Idol’ 2023 judges | ABC/Eric McCandless

When will ‘American Idol’ 2024 air?

The American Idol 2023 finale is right around the corner. The three-hour finale airs on Sunday, May 21, 2023, beginning at 8 p.m. ET and ending at 11 p.m. ET. Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle, and Colin Stough will take the stage with their original songs, and by the end of the episode, one of them will be crowned as the winner.

While the end of the current season is nearly here, fans can look forward to more American Idol in the future. ABC renewed the series for at least one more season thanks to stellar ratings. The series ran with Fox until 2016, and ABC picked the series back up in 2018. Ever since the 2018 revival, fans have been tuning in and driving viewership for the network. The current season brings in an average of 5.2 million viewers on Sundays and an average of 4.7 million viewers on Mondays. That’s nearly 10 million viewers weekly.

So, when can fans expect to see American Idol 2024? The current season began with auditions in February 2023, and the 2022 season also started with auditions in February. This likely means that the premiere episode will air in February 2024 and the finale will air again in May 2024.

Which judges will return?

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It’s unclear which of the three judges will return for American Idol 2024 — but it seems likely that fans will see Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan again. Bryan, Perry, and Richie joined when the show made the switch over to ABC, and they’ve given no indication that they plan on leaving.

With that said, some fans haven’t liked Perry this season or in recent past seasons. Perry upset contestant Sara Beth Liebe after making comments about her being a mother of several children at a young age, and fans supported Liebe. Additionally, after Alanis Morissette assisted as a guest judge in American Idol 2023, many fans decided they wanted to see more of Morissette and less of Perry.

Richie also stated that he adores the group dynamic present between the current judges. “We were trying to be a little bit on the edge of polite, but now it’s just full-on war,” Richie said, according to Us Weekly. “Also, I gotta tell you, just hanging out after the show … I thought I would know everything [about them], and we hang out one more night, I go, ‘Oh, I found out one more thing,’ and now it’s just — I love it.”

As for host Ryan Seacrest, it’s also unclear if he’ll return. It seems likely that fans will see him again, though. Seacrest began co-hosting the series back in 2002, and he made the switch to ABC with the franchise. While his co-host, Brian Dunkleman, quit the series years ago, Seacrest seems like he’s in it for the long haul.

‘American Idol’ 2024 auditions are officially open

Fans looking to audition for American Idol 2024 are in luck, as auditions are officially open for the next season. Fans can visit https://abc.com/shows/american-idol/auditions to learn more about how to audition for the next season. Currently, production is accepting audition videos for potential contestants over the age of 15. Fans can also sign up for audition alerts through the website.

This story was originally reported by Deadline.

American Idol Season 21 finale airs Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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