Who will be Australia’s next singing star?

It won’t be long before Australian Idol is back on our screens!

A new round of hopefuls will be trying to impress the judges in the hopes of winning the $100,000 cash prize and a recording package.

Channel Seven confirmed the singing competition would be back for another year at its 2026 Upfronts event on October 22.

In its two decades on air, Australian Idol has launched the careers of major stars, including Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy and Ricki-Lee Coulter, and the 2026 contestants are hoping to find that same success.

The hopefuls have already been introduced in a new teaser trailer, in which they all sang a group rendition of Hello by The Cat Empire.

But when will series be airing and what else can you expect?

Scroll on for everything you need to know.
Australian Idol will be back and better than ever in 2026. (Credit: Channel Seven)

When does Australian Idol 2026 air?

Channel Seven has not yet confirmed when the 2026 series of Australian Idol will air.

However, if the 2025 series is anything to go by, viewers shouldn’t have to wait much longer before the competition launches.

This year’s series arrived on screen in February, and it is expected to be released at a similar time in 2026.

Channel Seven has teased some big changes in the upcoming series, which they said will be the “toughest” one yet.

The competition will “cover all genres from pop and rock to country and rap” as the Idols will be put through their paces.
The air date for the 2026 series has not yet been confirmed by Channel Seven. (Credit: Channel Seven)

Who are the Australian Idol 2026 judges?

In news that will be music to fans’ ears, the trio of judges will be back once again in 2026!

Marcia Hines, Amy Shark, and Kyle Sandilands are all returning to guide the contestants through the competition.

Filming is underway and Amy gave a cheeky behind-the-scenes look at the auditions on Instagram last month.

She posted a photograph of herself sitting behind the iconic Australian Idol desk as she got ready to judge the new acts.
Kyle Sandilands, Marcia Hines and Amy Shark will all return as judges. (Credit: Channel Seven/Instagram)

Who is hosting Australian Idol 2026?

The judges aren’t the only familiar faces that will be back in 2026, as Ricki-Lee Coulter and Scott Tweedie are returning to host.

Ricki-Lee famously competed on the second series of Australian Idol back in 2004, and returned to host the 2023 reboot on Channel Seven.

Scott joined the franchise as a fresh addition for the reboot and has remained as co-host ever since.
Ricki-Lee Coulter and Scott Tweedie will also be back as hosts. (Credit: Channel Seven/Instagram)

Will there be live shows on Australian Idol 2026?

While nothing has officially been confirmed, it is expected that Australian Idol will follow its usual format.

This would see the introduction of live shows after the auditions, which usually air later in the year.

In 2025, fans were given the chance to secure tickets to watch the top 30 acts who qualified for the live shows.

The performances took place on October 19, so fans could be waiting quite some time for the 2026 round of shows.

Check back here for any more updates on the 2026 series!