Academy of Country Music Awards Returns to Las Vegas

The Academy of Country Music Awards is heading back to its long-time home, announcing that its 61st ceremony will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 17, 2026. This relocation concludes a three-year stint in Texas, where the 60th-anniversary event was celebrated in Frisco. The broadcast will maintain its live global streaming presence on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch, platforms that last year delivered the show to audiences in 240 countries. This return marks a significant homecoming for the ACMs, which became a Las Vegas institution from 2003 through 2019.

Event week, produced by Dick Clark Productions, will kick off on May 15, 2026. Tickets for the awards ceremony and associated events are scheduled to become available early next year. Jay Penske, CEO of Dick Clark Productions, emphasized the strategic rationale behind the move. "Our return to Las Vegas and partnership with MGM Resorts is a deliberate step to craft unparalleled entertainment moments for a worldwide audience," Penske stated. This collaboration is designed to tap into the city's extensive event-hosting capabilities and international allure to elevate the production. The MGM Grand Garden Arena, a premier venue that opened in 1993, has a storied history of hosting major televised events, from awards shows to championship boxing, providing an ideal backdrop for the ceremony.

Industry experts view the shift as a blend of sentimental value and commercial strategy. Music business analyst Sarah Miller noted, "While nostalgia plays a role, the decision is fundamentally strategic. Las Vegas offers a concentrated entertainment ecosystem and a built-in tourist economy that can significantly boost the awards' visibility and ancillary revenue." This move is expected to generate substantial economic activity for the local hospitality and tourism sectors, a common effect of large-scale awards shows in destination cities.

Announcements regarding hosts and performers for the 2026 gala are expected in the months ahead. The ceremony's most recent Las Vegas edition was in 2022, co-hosted by the legendary Dolly Parton—a cultural icon whose career spans decades in music, film, and philanthropy—alongside Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett. The upcoming 2025 awards, serving as a final Texas installment before the Vegas return, will likely offer clues about the production scale and creative direction planned for the 2026 homecoming event, setting the stage for a major celebration of country music's resurgence on the Strip.