Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie to Return for ‘American Idol’

American Idol will return for season three on ABC in the spring of 2020 and fans will get to see some familiar faces. Returning to the reality competition series will be judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, with Bobby Bones returning as the in-house mentor.

“‘American Idol’ is the original music competition series,” said Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment, in a press release. “It was the first of its kind to take everyday singers and catapult them into superstardom, launching the careers of so many amazing artists. We couldn’t be more excited for Katy, Luke, Lionel and Bobby to continue in their roles as ‘American Idol’ searches for the next great music star, with more live episodes and exciting, new creative elements coming this season.”

“We are delighted to have our judges Katy, Luke and Lionel as well as in-house mentor Bobby back on ‘American Idol,’” added executive producer and showrunner Trish Kinane. “They are all credible, hugely successful artists and will bring their expertise, passion and energy to the search for America’s next superstar. They have an undeniable chemistry together making for another fun and exciting season!”

“We are thrilled to have all our judges and Bobby returning for a third season of ‘American Idol’ on ABC,” explained Eli Holzman, CEO of Industrial Media, the parent company of 19 Entertainment. “Our partners at Fremantle and ABC are delivering our fans some of the best Idol seasons ever produced, and Katy, Luke and Lionel are inspiring and molding some of the greatest musical talent this show – or any other for that matter – has ever seen. We cannot wait to be introduced to the next crop of stars and we cannot wait to see who will be the next ‘American Idol.’”

The search for America’s next superstar began with auditions in Brooklyn, New York and will hit 21 cities across the country. Hopefuls can audition in person or by submitting online videos via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #TheNextIdol. Contestants must be at least 15 years old to audition. For more information about the audition process, visit www.americanidol.com/auditions.

American Idol auditions will be held as follows (subject to change):
Mobile, AL: TBD Venue (Aug 20)
Tallahassee, FL: Donald L. Tucker Civic Center at Florida State University (Aug 23)
Macon, GA: TBD Venue (Aug 23)
Santa Barbara, CA: TBD Venue (Aug 23)
Baton Rouge, LA: Hilton Baton Rouge Capital Center (Aug 25)
Columbia, SC: TBD Venue (Aug 26)
Las Vegas, NV: TBD Venue (Aug 26)
Waco, TX: Waco Convention Center (Aug 27)
Knoxville, TN: Knoxville Convention Center (Aug 29)
Salt Lake City, UT: TBD Venue (Aug 29)
Raleigh, NC: TBD Venue (Sep 1)
Colorado Springs, CO: TBD Venue (Sep 1)
Washington D.C.: TBD Venue (Sep 4)
Wichita, KS: TBD Venue (Sep 4)
San Jose, CA: San Jose Convention Center (Sep 6)
Pittsburgh, PA: TBD Venue (Sep 7)
Springfield, IL: TBD Venue (Sep 7)
Spokane, WA: Grand Hotel Davenport, Autograph Collection (Sep 8)
Detroit, MI: TBD Venue (Sep 10)
Nashville, TN: Nashville Municipal Auditorium (Sep 18)
Chicago, IL: Wintrust Arena (Sep 21)