Hollywood’s marquee awards show will soon have a new home.
The Academy Awards will move from the Dolby Theatre to the L.A. Live complex in downtown Los Angeles starting in 2029, the film academy said in a news release Thursday.
The relocation roughly 9 miles away coincides with the ceremony’s shift from airing on the ABC broadcast network to streaming live on YouTube.
The Dolby Theatre has hosted the Oscars for all but one year since 2002. ABC has held broadcast rights since 1976.
The move heralds a new partnership between the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the nonprofit group behind the awards, and AEG, the firm that owns and operates L.A. Live, including the venue currently known as the Peacock Theater.
The deal between the Oscars and AEG runs through 2039, the academy said.
“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 CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor.
“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,” Kramer and Taylor added.
AEG will make “comprehensive enhancements” to the theater, including upgrades to its stage, sound and lighting systems, lobbies, backstage facilities and additional production-critical areas. L.A. Live’s plaza will host red carpet arrivals and activities.
The Peacock Theater is next to the Crypto.com Arena, home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings. The venue has hosted the Emmy Awards and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
