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Idol Worship

'American Idol' Pulls the Plug on Summer Tour

By Michele Amabile Angermiller
3/31/2016
By Michele Amabile Angermiller
3/31/2016
Scotty McCreery American Idols Live tour 2011
Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Scotty McCreery performs with American Idol Season 10 contestants during the 2011 American Idols Live! tour at the Prudential Center on Aug. 14, 2011 in Newark, N.J.

The summer tour has been a staple of post-season Idol since the show first launched in 2002.

American Idol has pulled the plug on its summer tour, Billboard has confirmed.

The summer tour has been a staple of post-season Idol since the show first launched in 2002 and saw strong attendance numbers for the better part of a decade, filling medium sized theaters and even arenas during the series' height. But as the Fox show began to lose ratings steam, so did the summer trek and what once included a complete group of finalists and a full band was cut in half during season 14. 

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News of the tour's demise was first revealed by season 15 sixth-place finisher Tristan McIntosh, who told a fan on Twitter that the top five finalists would not be hitting the road in 2016. 

Later, CORE media, the parent company of 19 Entertainment which manages the Idols' careers and recordings, stated that an as-yet-unscheduled season 15 outing would not take place.

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"The American Idol Live Tour has historically been an integral part of celebrating the seasons' contestants and also garnering excitement for summer auditions for the upcoming season," CORE media said in a statement. "This year's Idol finale celebrates the past 15 seasons, the amazingly talented participants, and the millions of fans who’ve helped make American Idol the legendary program and brand it is today. It will be so memorable and meaningful and we've chosen to end it on that note."

The American Idol finale is set to take place next week, with the 15th -- and final -- winner to be announced during a three-night extravaganza on April 5, 6 and 7. 

By Michele Amabile Angermiller
4/1/2016

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