The Season 24 American Idol finale ends tonight with a three-hour episode that puts the championship in America’s hands at the start of the show. Live voting opens during the broadcast at 8 p.m. ET, as the Top 3 compete for the 2026 title and viewers choose the winner by website, text message and social platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Keya Richardson arrives at the finale with a hometown package filmed by the Idol production team that included a parade, a second line and an outdoor concert at the Hunter Amphitheater outside Maritime Park. Her Pensacola visit also featured the Blue Angels, the Blue Wahoos and the Pensacola Beach water tower, and her son, Drew, joined her on stage. The hometown treatment is part of a finale built to feel bigger than a standard competition night, and it comes with guest judge Alicia Keys joining Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
Tonight’s show also leans hard on the franchise’s past. On May 4, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson returned to give feedback to the Top 5, while Taylor Hicks, Elliott Yamin, Paris Bennett, Kellie Pickler and Bucky Covington came back to the stage two decades after their original run. Jamal Roberts, last year’s winner, returned to sing his new track, “Perfect For Me,” and the finale lineup adds performances from Brad Paisley, Blues Traveler, Cameron Whitcomb, Clay Aiken, En Vogue, Gin Blossoms, Jason Mraz, Lee Ann Womack, Nelly, Shinedown and Tori Kelly.
Abdul told the crowd she was “so happy to be at my old home,” then praised Richardson’s range as a weapon and warned that even her whisper has to hit as hard as her top note. She also told the singer that her confidence is blooming beautifully. Luke Bryan is set to perform his new song, “Fish Hunt Golf Drink,” while eliminated Top 5 contestants Braden Rumfelt and Chris Tungseth return for the finale, which will be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu the next day. The question tonight is not whether Idol can fill three hours; it is whether the voting window is open long enough for the audience to settle the Season 24 race in one night.
