American Idol 2020 Live Shows & New Episodes Scheduled

american idol 2020 schedule

ABC/Eric McCandless

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, American Idol had to change up their schedule for season 18. Now, contestants will be performing remotely and judges will be commenting from their homes. The next round of the competition starts on Sunday, April 26.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, live episodes of American Idol were due to start on Monday, April 6. After production was shut down in order to protect the health and safety of the staff, cast and contestants, Idol made the decision to air two American Idol: This is Me episodes that spotlighted each of the top 20 contestants. The specials consisted of pre-recorded performances and interviews with the contestants.

Now, the search for the next American Idol will finally continue. Beginning on Sunday, April 26, American Idol judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie will be judging contestants from their homes, and host Ryan Seacrest and mentor Bobby Bones will be stopping in from the comfort of their own homes as well.


‘American Idol’ 2020 Schedule

While there has been no official announcement when it comes to how the remainder of the season will play out, we do know a few things about what the rest of the season looks like.

Sunday, April 19: American Idol: This is Me Part 2

Sunday, April 26: Top 20 Sing For America

Usually, there are a few episodes of Top 20 performances, but it’s not clear how many there will be this season. After the top 20, it’s likely the artists will be cut down to the Top 14 and then later to the Top 10. At that point, the show usually begins airing live coast-to-coast, but because of the schedule change, it’s not clear.

At this point, it’s likely that Idol will be new every Sunday through at the very least most of June if not later. Usually, there would be anywhere from eight to 12 episodes following the announcement of the top 20. At the longest, that would put the finale airing on Sunday, July 12 at 8 p.m. ET if the show only airs on Sunday nights.

It’s possible that Idol will be able to move back into the Monday night time slots after The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart finishes up, which would make the finale airdate sometime in June.


‘American Idol’ Top 21 Contestants

Right now, the top 21 contestants for American Idol have been announced, but at the end of tonight’s Part two of American Idol: This Is Me, the group will be officially down to the top 20.

Fans were asked to vote on which of two contestants they would like to move forward into the official top 20: traditional country singers Grace Leer or Lauren Mascitti. The result of those votes will be announced by the end of the episode airing on Sunday, April 19.

Here’s a breakdown of the top 21 contestants:

Aliana Jester, 19, from Tampa, Florida
Arthur Gunn
, 22, from Wichita, Kansas
Cyniah Elise
, 18, from Atlanta, Georgia
DeWayne Crocker Jr., 23, from Pensacola, Florida
Dillon James, 26, from Bakersfield, California
Faith Becnel, 20, from Desterhan, Louisiana
Francisco Martin, 19, from San Francisco, California
Franklin Boone, 28, from Durham, North Carolina
Grace Leer, 28, from Nashville, Tennessee
Jonny West, 23, from Murietta, California
Jovin Webb, 29, from Gonzales, Louisiana
Julia Gargano, 22, from Staten Island, New York
Just Sam, 21, from Harlem, New York
Kimmy Gabriela, 17, from Lakeland, Florida
Lauren Mascitti, 28, from Nashville, Tennessee
Lauren Spencer-Smith, 16, from Vancouver Island, Canada
Louis Knight, 19, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Makayla Phillips, 17, from Temecula, California
Nick Merico, 24, from Woodland Hills, California
Olivia Ximines, 17, from Menifee, California
Sophia Wackerman, 20, from Long Beach, California

Tune in to American Idol on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC to see performances from each of the top 20 contestants.

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