For the first time in the 23-year history of “American Idol,” the series will air a faith-filled episode on Easter Sunday — April 20, 2025. People first reported the programming decision on April 3, noting that the theme of the night will be “Songs of Faith.”
The three-hour Easter episode will be pre-taped on April 16, according to On Camera Audiences, which handles tickets for “Idol’s” spring shows at Red Studios in Los Angeles. Those who secure free tickets to the show have been advised that they’ll likely need to stay for at least six hours, beginning at 1:30 p.m., but are promised “light snacks and BIG entertainment.”
All 3 ‘American Idol’ Judges & Celebrity Guests to Perform on Easter Sunday Episode
The Easter Sunday episode of “Idol” will feature many celebrity performances, per People, including songs by all three judges — Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan. It’s unknown which songs they’ll perform, but Underwood’s Grammy-winning gospel album “My Savior” gives her plenty to choose from.
Jelly Roll, who will debut as the show’s first-ever artist-in-residence on the April 7 episode, is expected to perform with contemporary Christian artist Brandon Lake. They’re likely to sing their duet on Lake’s song “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” which they released in early February.
Season 22 finalist Roman Collins will also perform with gospel great CeCe Winans, according to People. Winans sang “Goodness of God” with Collins during the May 2024 finale, a collaboration that quickly went viral, and she later brought Collins on tour with her.
Top 20 Contestants Will Sing ‘Songs of Faith’ During Easter Episode
The top 20 “Idol” contestants will perform “Songs of Faith” during the Easter episode, per People, and viewers will vote for their favorites. The voting results will be delivered during a live show the next night, on April 21.
It’s not clear if contestants will be expected to sing Christian songs given the Easter holiday, but many hopefuls have already performed religious tunes as part of their auditions or Hollywood Week performances.
During the first Hollywood Week episode on March 31, contestant Baylee Littrell sailed through to the next round with his original tune, “Hey, Jesus” and Breanna Nix advanced with her rendition of “Idol” alum Lauren Daigle’s “You Say.” The night before, aspiring Dallas preacher Canaan James Hill earned the judge’s third and final platinum ticket for his performance of “I Need Your Glory.”
“American Idol” airs Sunday and Monday nights on ABC, with the next two rounds of Hollywood Week premiering on April 6.
