Oscars to move downtown to L.A. LIVE in 2029 for 101st Academy Awards

The Oscars will be held at the Peacock Theater starting in 2029.

The Oscars are heading downtown.

The Academy announced a landmark (and surprising) new partnership with AEG on Thursday that will relocate the ceremony to L.A. LIVE beginning with the 101st Academy Awards in 2029. The show will be held at the venue currently known as the Peacock Theater and remain there through at least 2039.

The move marks a significant shift for Hollywood's biggest night, which has been held at the Dolby Theatre since 2002. The ceremony will continue at the Hollywood venue through the 100th Oscars in 2028.

The relocation coincides with another major turning point: 2029 will also mark the first year the Oscars stream exclusively on YouTube under a global rights deal, signaling a broader evolution in how The Academy reaches audiences worldwide.  

A new era at L.A. LIVE

Located in downtown Los Angeles, L.A. LIVE is a sprawling entertainment campus adjacent to the Crypto.com Arena. The 23-acre complex includes hotels, restaurants and event spaces, offering a centralized footprint that The Academy believes will better support the scale of the Oscars.

Unlike Hollywood Boulevard, where the ceremony has long required extensive street closures and security perimeters, L.A. LIVE provides a more contained, campus-style environment. The expanded plaza will host Red Carpet arrivals, while nearby venues and hotels can accommodate press operations, post-show events and the Governors Ball within walking distance.

As part of the agreement, AEG will upgrade the theater with enhancements to stage design, sound and lighting systems, backstage areas and other production infrastructure. The Academy will collaborate on custom elements tailored specifically for the Oscars telecast.

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Why the move now?

The decision reflects both logistical needs and long-term strategy.

In recent years, The Academy has faced space limitations at the Dolby Theatre, particularly as its membership has grown to more than 11,000 members. The new venue offers increased capacity (from 3,400 seats to 7,100 seats) and greater flexibility in how the show is staged, from audience layout to backstage operations.

It also aligns with the Oscars’ broader push to modernize and expand its global reach. Moving to a streaming-first platform like YouTube, combined with a venue designed for large-scale, integrated production, positions the ceremony for a new generation of viewers.

A return to downtown roots

While the move may feel like a departure from Hollywood, it’s also a return.

The Oscars were held for decades in downtown Los Angeles, most notably at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion beginning with the 41st Academy Awards in 1969. The ceremony later split time with the Shrine Auditorium before settling permanently at the then-Kodak Theatre (now Dolby) in 2002.

There have been rare exceptions, including the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021, which were held at Union Station Los Angeles during the pandemic, but the Dolby era has defined the modern Oscars for more than two decades. And it's certainly special for us at The Gold Knight, where we've reported from the Red Carpet and have been a bleacher fan twice. 

What it means for the Oscars experience

Early design concepts suggest that, visually, the Oscars may retain much of their signature look, including the sweeping stage style audiences have come to expect. But behind the scenes, the changes could be substantial.

By consolidating arrivals, the ceremony, press and after-parties into one interconnected campus, The Academy and AEG aim to create a more seamless and immersive experience both for attendees in the room and viewers watching around the world.

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As Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a statement, the partnership is about creating "the perfect backdrop for our global celebration of cinema both for our live in-theater audience and for film fans around the world."

"L.A. LIVE was built to host the moments that define culture, and there is no greater global stage than the Oscars," said Todd Goldstein, Chief Revenue Officer for AEG, in a statement. "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."

With a new home, a new platform and a new century of Oscars on the horizon, 2029 is shaping up to be one of the most transformative years in the ceremony's history.

The 99th Academy Awards, for outstanding film achievements of 2026, will be presented next year, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide. The ceremony will also be streamed live on Hulu.