The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is moving Hollywood’s biggest night to downtown Los Angeles.
In a landmark partnership with downtown-based AEG, L.A. Live will be the new home of the Oscars, according to an announcement from the Academy and AEG. Under the agreement, the annual Academy Awards will relocate to the Peacock Theater, starting with the 101st ceremony in 2029 and will remain at the theater through 2039.
The move marks a significant geographic and operational shift for the awards show, which has been anchored at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood since 2002. In conjunction with the new partnership between the Academy and AEG, the Oscars will stream on YouTube under a separate global rights deal, after five decades on ABC.
AEG, which owns and operates the 23-acre district, will undertake a comprehensive upgrade of the Peacock Theater to accommodate the Oscars’ production scale, according to the release. Planned enhancements include improvements to the stage infrastructure, sound and lighting systems, backstage facilities and lobby areas, and custom design elements tailored specifically for the broadcast.
L.A. Live, which recently expanded its plaza, will host red-carpet arrivals and other
festivities.
“We are thrilled to partner with a global powerhouse like AEG. Their track record for building and operating technologically sophisticated live performance venues is unrivaled,” said Academy Chief Executive Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor in a joint statement. “For the 101st Oscars and beyond, the Academy looks forward to closely collaborating with AEG to make L.A. Live the perfect backdrop for our global celebration of cinema, both for our live in-theater audience and for film fans around the world.”
‘Moments that define culture’
Todd Goldstein, chief revenue officer at AEG, echoed that sentiment and added that “L.A. Live was built to host the moments that define culture, and there is no greater global stage than the Oscars.
“We’re proud to partner with the Academy to reimagine what the Oscars can look and feel like in the years ahead,” Goldstein said. “Together, we will create an environment that celebrates creativity, honors excellence, and delivers an unforgettable experience for movie fans everywhere.”
The new partnership could bolster downtown Los Angeles, with implications for tourism, hospitality and the broader events economy clustered around L.A. Live and the adjacent Crypto.com Arena. The J.W. Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live and The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles are both located within the complex.
Since its debut in 2007, L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater has hosted an array of major ceremonial events, including the Emmys, Viacom Inc.’s MTV Video Music Awards and its Movie Awards, the American Music Awards, and this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
induction ceremony.
