How to watch the Oscars 2026 in the UK

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The Academy Awards, Hollywood’s biggest night celebrating the year’s best movies, are almost here.

This year’s Oscars have been remarkably competitive. The film Sinners led the nominations with an impressive 16, with One Battle After Another not far behind.

Okay, so the Best Picture race is still super tight – I’m seeing ‘Sinners,’ ‘One Battle After Another,’ and ‘The Secret Agent’ as the movies to beat. And as for the lead acting awards, everything’s pointing towards Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley taking home the trophies, but honestly, it’s still anyone’s game!

This year’s Oscars will honor Rob Reiner, who passed away in December 2025, with a special tribute. The show will also feature the traditional acceptance speeches and performances, and the segment remembering those we’ve lost will be longer than usual.

We’re keeping the specifics under wraps for now, but we’re aiming for a tribute that’s truly meaningful and honors the memory of those we’ve lost this year,” explained producer Katy Mullan.

Want to know how to watch the 2026 Oscars in the UK? We’ve got all the details! You can also check out the list of nominees before the ceremony.

When are the Oscars 2026? Date and time

The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, will be held on Sunday, March 3, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The Dolby Theatre has hosted the ceremony since 2001, with the exception of 2021 when it was moved to a smaller location due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremony will kick off 4pm PT and will last for three hours.

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How can I watch the Oscars 2026 in the UK?

For the third year running, ITV will broadcast the entire Academy Awards ceremony, meaning UK movie fans can watch the full show.

Viewers can watch free coverage of the event on ITV1 and ITVX, featuring red carpet highlights and expert commentary from film fans Elle Osili Wood, Samson Kayo, and Fred Asquith.

They’ll be with Jonathan Ross on the live show, sharing their thoughts and breaking down all the highlights from Hollywood’s biggest awards night.

Okay, UK viewers, here’s the deal: the actual awards ceremony gets underway at midnight. But don’t worry, ITV’s coverage starts much earlier, at 10:15pm, so you won’t miss a thing!

Who is hosting the Oscars 2026?

Okay, so I was thrilled to hear Conan O’Brien is hosting the Oscars again! It’s happening, and the announcement came surprisingly quickly – less than a month after last year’s show wrapped up. Honestly, I thought they’d take longer to decide, but I’m definitely excited to see what he brings to the stage this time.

O’Brien has been refining his stage performance by trying it out at comedy clubs. He told the New Yorker that he was inspired by classic hosts like Bob Hope and Johnny Carson, and he sees a connection to that tradition. Given his love of history, and the fact that this type of show has been around for nearly a century, he wants to approach it with a sense of fun.

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Which musical acts will perform at the Oscars 2026?

This year’s Oscars will feature musical tributes from Sinners and KPop Demon Hunters.

This year’s Oscar show music will draw inspiration from two major cultural moments: the critically acclaimed film Sinners, which received a record number of Oscar nominations, and the incredibly popular KPop Demon Hunters, a worldwide pop culture hit, according to producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan.

These concerts aren’t just shows; they’re like mini-movies that honor the connection between music and the stories films tell, explaining why those films meant so much to people everywhere.

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Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey, and Alice Smith will join Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq for a performance of “I Lied to You.”

HUNTR/X, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami will perform the song “Golden” from the popular animated film.

Who is presenting awards at the Oscars 2026?

As a movie critic, I’m always excited to see who’s handing out the awards, and this year’s presenter list doesn’t disappoint. We’ve got some fantastic talent taking the stage, including past winners like Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison, and the always-amazing Zoe Saldaña. It’s great to see familiar faces involved!

I’m really excited to hear Chase Infiniti, who was fantastic in ‘One Battle After Another,’ will be presenting! And Paul Mescal, of course – ‘Hamnet’ was incredible. It’s great to see Oscar nominees like Rose Byrne, Delroy Lindo, and Wagner Moura joining them too. What a lineup!

The cast also includes Javier Bardem, Chris Evans, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani, Maya Rudolph, Will Arnett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, Jimmy Kimmel, Ewan McGregor, Pedro Pascal, Bill Pullman, Lewis Pullman, Channing Tatum, and Sigourney Weaver.

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The Academy Awards will air on Sunday 15 March 2026.

Authors

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah is a Senior Entertainment Writer at TopMob, where she reports on popular TV shows, reality competitions, and impactful documentaries. Before joining TopMob, she worked at The Tab, covering reality TV and celebrity news. She holds a Journalism degree.

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2026-03-13 16:12