Oscars leave Hollywood behind

The Academy Awards are packing up their golden statues and leaving Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre behind.

In a stunning shake up, the Oscars will relocate to downtown Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater at L.A. Live beginning with the 101st ceremony in 2029.

It is the same year the show makes its unprecedented broadcast leap from ABC to YouTube.

The announcement was made Thursday, March 26 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and AEG.

It sets the stage for a decade long partnership that will see the Oscars housed at the same venue that has hosted the Emmys in recent years.

The move represents a dramatic return to downtown L.A., where the ceremony once reigned at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and later the Shrine Auditorium, before settling into Hollywood’s Kodak (now Dolby) Theatre in 2002.

AEG plans sweeping upgrades to the Peacock Theater’s stage, sound, lighting, and backstage facilities to meet the Oscars’ exacting standards.

The expanded L.A. Live plaza will serve as the red carpet hub, promising a spectacle that blends tradition with modernity.

The timing is no coincidence.

The Academy’s new deal with YouTube, granting exclusive global streaming rights starting in 2029, signals a bold reinvention of the Oscars brand.

Moving to L.A. Live, adjacent to 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 hailed the partnership, saying: “For the 101st Oscars and beyond, the Academy looks forward to closely collaborating with AEG to make L.A. Live the perfect backdrop for our global celebration of cinema.”

AEG’s Chief Revenue Officer Todd Goldstein added intrigue of his own, “…there is no greater global stage than the Oscars. We’re proud to partner with the Academy to reimagine what the Oscars can look and feel like in the years ahead. Together, we will create an environment that celebrates creativity, honors excellence, and delivers an unforgettable experience for movie fans everywhere.”

The Oscars will remain at the Dolby Theatre through the 100th ceremony in 2028, televised live on ABC.

But after that, the world’s most glamorous night will undergo its most radical transformation in decades.