Lead: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and AEG announced on March 26, 2026, that the Oscars will relocate from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre to the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live beginning with the 101st ceremony in 2029. The agreement commits the ceremony to the Peacock through 2039 and includes a comprehensive upgrade program at the venue. The move follows a decade of the awards’ run at the Dolby Theatre and coincides with a new distribution arrangement that will make the ceremony available on YouTube starting in 2029. ABC will continue to televise the Oscars through the 100th ceremony in 2028, while the Dolby Theatre remains the host site until then.
Key Takeaways
- The Oscars will shift from the Dolby Theatre to the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles beginning in 2029.
- The 101st Academy Awards (2029) will be staged at the Peacock and the venue is contracted to host the ceremony through 2039.
- AEG will invest in upgrades—stage, sound, lighting, lobbies, backstage and other production-critical areas—to ready the theater for the Oscars.
- L.A. Live’s expanded plaza is designated for red-carpet arrivals and associated events tied to the ceremony.
- Broadcast arrangements: ABC will continue live telecasts through the 100th Oscars in 2028; a deal will make the ceremony available on YouTube starting in 2029.
- The Academy and AEG say they will collaborate on bespoke design elements to meet the production needs of the Oscars.
- The move represents a major shift of Hollywood’s flagship awards show from Hollywood Boulevard to downtown Los Angeles after decades at the Dolby Theatre.
Background
The Dolby Theatre has hosted the Academy Awards since 2002, becoming synonymous with Hollywood’s biggest night. Its central Hollywood location, iconic red carpet moments and long-term broadcast partnerships helped define the ceremony’s public image. Over the years the Academy has periodically updated staging and production elements to adapt to evolving broadcast and streaming demands.
AEG’s L.A. Live complex in downtown Los Angeles has grown into a major entertainment hub with concert venues, hotels, and a recently expanded plaza intended for large public events. The complex has attracted high-profile live productions and was designed to handle major crowds and integrated hospitality experiences. The Academy’s decision reflects both production needs and a strategic choice to leverage newer infrastructure and audience amenities.
Main Event
On March 26, 2026, the Academy and AEG jointly announced the relocation plan. The statement said AEG will perform comprehensive enhancements to the Peacock Theater—upgrades that the companies say are necessary to accommodate the technical and spatial demands of the Oscars. Those upgrades were specified to include stage rework, sound and lighting improvements, lobby renovations, and expanded backstage facilities.
Officials said the 101st Oscars will be the first ceremony at the Peacock, and the venue will host the awards through 2039 under the agreement. L.A. Live’s expanded plaza will serve as the primary red-carpet arrival zone and fan-facing activity area, shifting many arrivals and festival-style elements from Hollywood Boulevard to downtown.
The announcement also covered distribution: ABC will remain the Oscars’ live broadcaster through the 100th ceremony in 2028, while a new deal will make the event available on YouTube beginning in 2029. The Academy characterized the arrangement as part of a broader strategy to reimagine presentation and audience reach for future ceremonies.
Analysis & Implications
The move marks a notable geographic and symbolic shift for the Academy Awards. After more than two decades tied to the Dolby Theatre, relocating downtown signals a willingness to rethink the ceremony’s physical footprint and how live entertainment is staged in the streaming era. For producers, the Peacock’s planned technical upgrades are aimed at meeting the increasingly complex demands of hybrid broadcast-stream productions.
Economically, the relocation could redirect the local benefits that flow from Oscars weekend—hotel bookings, hospitality revenue, and ancillary tourism activity—from Hollywood to downtown Los Angeles. Nearby businesses and the city government are likely to position the move as an opportunity to capture a larger share of the Oscars-related economic activity over the coming decade.
From an audience perspective, the addition of a YouTube distribution element expands potential global reach and could engage younger, digital-native viewers who do not consume live television in traditional ways. That shift raises questions about advertising models, rights fees and how red-carpet and audience engagement are monetized in a mixed broadcast-and-stream environment.
Comparison & Data
| Aspect | Dolby Theatre (through 2028) | Peacock Theater (2029–2039) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary location | Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood | L.A. Live, Downtown Los Angeles |
| Host period | 2002–2028 (current agreement through 2028) | 2029–2039 (announced contract) |
| Broadcast | Live on ABC through 2028 (200+ territories) | Available on YouTube starting 2029; further broadcast terms TBD |
The table highlights the calendar-defined shift and distribution change. While many production details have been disclosed—years and venue commitments—the exact technical specifications and financial terms of venue upgrades and media rights were not released publicly at the time of the announcement.
Reactions & Quotes
“L.A. LIVE was built to host the moments that define culture, and there is no greater global stage than the Oscars,”
Todd Goldstein, AEG Chief Revenue Officer
AEG framed the partnership as an opportunity to reimagine the ceremony’s presentation and to invest in infrastructure tailored to the Oscars’ needs. That message emphasized both cultural prestige and the technical imperatives behind the move.
“AEG will collaborate closely with the Academy to incorporate bespoke design elements needed to accommodate the Oscars ceremony,”
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (joint statement)
The Academy’s language underlined collaboration on production design and bespoke elements, signaling shared control over how the ceremony will be reshaped for the new venue and distribution approach.
Unconfirmed
- Specific financial terms of the Academy–AEG agreement, including venue upgrade budgets and revenue splits, were not disclosed publicly.
- Full details of the YouTube distribution deal—such as exclusivity, ad-revenue arrangements or regional availability—have not been released.
- Exact technical specifications and final seating capacity changes at the Peacock Theater following upgrades remain pending until construction plans are made public.
Bottom Line
The Academy’s decision to relocate the Oscars to the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live from 2029 through 2039 is a deliberate move to modernize staging and broaden distribution. The agreement pairs venue upgrades with a new digital distribution element on YouTube, while preserving ABC’s role through the 100th ceremony in 2028. Stakeholders—from production crews to downtown businesses—stand to be affected in practical and economic terms as the ceremony transitions away from its long-established Hollywood address.
Observers should watch for published details on the upgrade timetable, financial terms and the precise mechanics of the YouTube distribution deal; those elements will determine how the ceremony’s production values, audience reach and commercial model evolve over the next decade.
Sources
- ABC7 Los Angeles — local news report summarizing Academy and AEG announcement (media)
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — official organization/press site (official)
- AEG Presents / AEG — venue operator and promoter (corporate/official)