The Voice is changing things up for its 29th season.
Although the 28th season of the reality singing competition is set to air in the fall, NBC has already announced several differences for season 29.
Set to air in spring 2026, the new season will see Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and Adam Levine return to the iconic red chairs, marking the first time since 2016 that the three legendary singers will be judging together. Season 29 is set to be filmed at the same time as season 28, which will feature Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, Niall Horan, and Reba McEntire as judges.
Season 29 will also have a slight name change along with a deviation in format. The Voice: Battle of Champions, as it will be called, will differ from the usual four coaches who blindly listen to strangers sing before progressing to battle rounds, knockouts, semi-finals, and the finale.
During the audition round, the coaches will compete against each other in a “Three-Turn Competition,” where they will try to land for their individual team the most singers who can turn each chair. The coach with the most three-turn singers automatically earns a “Super Steal” for the battle rounds, which can only be used once and overrides any other coach’s attempt to steal, guaranteeing a win.
In the knockout rounds, the coaches will bring back two fan-favorite singers from their teams from previous seasons to compete in an “In-Season All-Star Competition.” The coach with the most sing-off wins, judged by former Voice coach CeeLo Green, will be guaranteed a second finalist in the finale.
The semi-final week will feature the top nine singers, with the finale including the top four. A new addition for those final weeks of the season is a voting block made up of past singers on The Voice and super fans of the show.
The news of the show’s upcoming season comes a few months after the season 27 finale aired on May 20, which saw Bublé’s artist Adam David win. In addition to Bublé, the other coaches were Levine, Legend, and Kelsea Ballerini.
While season 29 sees the return of Clarkson as a coach after six seasons off, another previous coach, Ariana Grande, said in November 2024 during an appearance on Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers’ Las Culturistas podcast that she likely wouldn’t be returning.
“I got so emotionally attached to everyone,” she explained about the The Voice contestants. “That’s my problem. I can’t really do that, ‘cause I really get in. I really get in there with everyone.”
She continued: “I love everyone so much. I love meeting people, and I felt so invested. And I still do, like I see them all on Instagram.”
Grande noted that while she hasn’t “really been in touch with anyone,” due to her busy schedule, she’s still “in touch” with former contestants on The Voice on Instagram.
“I like their posts. I see their things, I see what they’re up to,” she added. “I’m still in touch with some of them. It’s just, I get very involved.”
The Voice season 28 will premiere on NBC in fall 2025 and be available to stream on Peacock.
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