Academy Awards Announce Historic Relocation to Downtown Los Angeles for 2029

The Oscars will move to the Peacock Theater and stream on YouTube starting in 2029, ending a nearly 30-year residency at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 28, 2026, 9:38 AM EDT

Source: People

A Digital Frontier with YouTube Streaming Partnership

Accompanying the physical move is a landmark broadcasting shift from traditional linear television to digital streaming. While the ceremony will remain on ABC through its centennial celebration in 2028, the 2029 telecast will migrate to YouTube. This partnership, initially established in late 2025, covers the years 2029 through 2033 and includes comprehensive access to the Governors Ball, red carpet arrivals, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content, signaling a strategic pivot to capture younger, digitally native global audiences.

Strategic Rationale for the L.A. Live Transition

The move to the Peacock Theater represents a search for technological modernization and logistical efficiency. Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor emphasized AEG’s track record in operating "technologically sophisticated" venues. The L.A. Live campus offers a concentrated infrastructure, situated adjacent to the Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center, which allows for a more controlled and integrated environment for the various high-security events surrounding the awards season.

Historical Context of Academy Award Venues

This departure ends a 28-year residency at the Dolby Theatre (formerly the Kodak Theatre), which has defined the Oscars' "Hollywood" identity since 2001. However, the Academy Awards have a nomadic history; the ceremony originated at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929 before moving through diverse locations including Grauman's Chinese Theater, the Shrine Auditorium, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Transformative analysis suggests this move is less of a departure from tradition and more of a return to the Academy’s history of adapting its physical presence to meet the industrial and scale requirements of the era.