Los Angeles/CMEDIA: Under a new agreement with AEG that runs through 2039, beginning in 2029, the Academy Awards will move from the Dolby Theatre, their home for nearly a quarter century, to L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and AEG announced on Thursday.
Placing the ceremony within a larger, campus-style complex, this shift to L.A. Live will facilitate the red carpet, show, press operations and post-show events to be staged in a more centralized footprint with increased capacity, as the academy’s ranks have expanded significantly in recent years, now numbering more than 11,000 members.
The theater itself is expected to undergo upgrades to its stage, sound and lighting systems, allowing it to be configured more specifically around the show.
Coinciding with the Oscars’ shift to YouTube, after years of declining television viewership, the change in venue comes as the Oscars are also moving away from their traditional home on broadcast television.
The Academy announced late last year that the ceremony will begin streaming live worldwide on YouTube in 2029 as it looks to expand its global reach.
The Peacock Theater would be the venue for the ceremony, which is expected to be renamed before the Oscars arrive.
