By the end of the night, there will be a new American Idol.

After an emotional Mother’s Day celebration and two evenings filled with Disney enchantment, the competition is now down to three finalists. One of them will be declared the winner during tonight’s finale.

The star-studded three-hour episode will see the Top 3 perform with music legends and top stars, per an ABC release.

Even though the 23rd season concludes tonight, there’s good news; American Idol is set to return for its 24th season next year. Auditions for the upcoming season have already commenced.

Is American Idol On Tonight?

Yes! A new episode of American Idol airs tonight, May 18, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT only on ABC. The episode will air live coast-to-coast.

How to Watch American Idol for Free:

To catch American Idol live without cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service, especially one offering a free trial. We suggest DIRECTV, which offers ABC in its basic package and provides a five-day free trial.

fuboTV is another great free option that’s also offering great savings on the first month — $20 off, to be exact, after a seven-day free trial.

Is American Idol on Hulu?

American Idol does not stream live on Hulu, but subscribers will be able to watch tonight’s episode on Hulu beginning tomorrow morning.

It’s the most cost-effective way to tune in to American Idol if you’re fine not watching it live.

American Idol Top 3:

These three contestants survived both halves of Disney Night to make it to American Idol‘s Season 23 grand finale.

• John Foster
• Breanna Nix
• Jamal Roberts

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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, how to watch your favorite sports teams and movies on each streaming service and the very best in tech, like soundbars, to enhance your viewing experience. Not only does Angela test and compare the services, devices and merch she writes about, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and the New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews. 

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