The Academy Awards ceremony is set to leave its long-standing Hollywood home at the Dolby Theatre, relocating to the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles from 2029.
Announced Thursday, this significant shift coincides with the telecast's move from ABC to YouTube and marks a 10-year agreement with AEG, operators of the L.A. Live complex, 14.5 kilometres away.
The decision is surprising, given the Academy specifically developed the Dolby Theatre to host the Oscars. It has served as the ceremony's consistent home since 2002, barring a scaled-down event at Union Station in 2021. This was the longest continuous residency; awards previously moved between various Los Angeles hotels before settling into theatres in the mid-1940s.
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, a downtown fine arts facility, home to the LA Opera, became synonymous with the Oscars, hosting from 1968 to 1986. It then alternated with the Shrine Auditorium, near the University of Southern California, until the long-term move to Hollywood.
The Dolby Theatre will continue to host the show for its final years on ABC, concluding with the 100th Academy Awards in 2028.
The Peacock Theatre, adjacent to the Crypto.com Arena – home to the Lakers and Kings – has a strong track record. It has hosted the Emmy Awards almost annually since 2008 and, more recently, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
The Academy confirmed AEG will undertake substantial upgrades to the theatre and its tech setup, incorporating "bespoke design elements needed to accommodate the Oscars ceremony." Opened in 2007 as part of the L.A. Live complex (formerly Nokia and Microsoft Theater), the Peacock Theatre boasts a capacity of around 7,000, roughly double that of the Dolby.
Its expansive, open-air plaza contrasts with the Dolby's more enclosed Ovation Hollywood complex. L.A. Live, like Hollywood, offers numerous hotels, crucial for Oscar logistics. While a Regal multiplex cinema exists on site, it lacks the historical grandeur of the TCL Chinese Theatre next to the Dolby.
In a joint statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Lynette Howell Taylor expressed their anticipation: "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."
