ABC
American Idol tours have been a huge draw for fans of the ABC competition. The nationwide tour includes the winner of each respective season, as well as a handful of runner-ups. Will American Idol continue to tour in 2019? Does the series have plans to take the current roster of performers on the road?
Unfortunately, there is no American Idol tour scheduled for 2019. There have been no tour dates announced, nor have there been tickets put on sale. Maddie Poppe, the previous Idol winner, recently broke the news on Instagram. When a fan said that she was excited to see her favorite performers on the tour, Poppe responded in the comment section and wrote: “They aren’t doing one this year.”
‘American Idol’ Will Not Be Going On a Live Tour In 2019
Poppe has had a strained relationship with Idol over the past year. When she and her boyfriend Caleb Lee Hutchinson sang a duet on Disney night this year, Poppe was allegedly frustrated that there was no mention of her upcoming album Whirlwind, which dropped days before the Idol finale. A source for Variety said that Poppe was under the impression that they would be making a “big plug” for the album, but “the show ran out of time.”
Poppe vented her frustrations on Twitter, writing, “Was waiting for ‘ALSO from last week, our Season 16 winner has an album coming out May 17th… There’s much more to the story here. Not trying to make it about me at all. I’ve been raving about these contestants every week.” There’s been additional drama about Poppe’s appearance during the season 17 finale. While she has been confirmed to appear, it remains to be seen whether she will perform.
This Is the First Time ‘Idol’ Hasn’t Gone on Tour Since 2016
American Idol has gone on tour for every season except for the final season in 2016. At the show’s peak in the 2000s, the tour hit arenas and exposed the performers to wider audiences nationwide. In 2018, the Top 7 toured, along with season 8 winner, Kris Allen. They hit about 2,000 venues in mid-sized cities. Over the past few years, however, declining ratings have coincided with a less ambitious touring schedule. The performers for season 15 did not hit the road until well after season 16 concluded. MJ’s Big Blog speculates that the Idol tours have become less and less profitable given the show’s dwindling numbers.
While there are no American Idol tour dates set for 2019, there are several Idol alumni who will be hitting the road. Carrie Underwood is going on the Cry Pretty Tour, which continues through October 31. You can purchase tickets here. Scotty McCreery is going on a nationwide tour starting on May 24. Adam Lambert, who will be performing on the Idol finale, will be going on the Rhapsody Tour as Queen’s frontman. The tour goes throughout July and August.