Following a 7-year hiatus, Fremantle, Cat Tien Sa Media Group and VTV3 today announce a new partnership to bring back Vietnam’s most popular star-maker competition series, Vietnam Idol, which promises to be the most accessible and innovative version yet. Licensed to Cat Tien Sa from Fremantle and airing on free-to-air channel VTV3, the latest season of Vietnam Idol will air in July 2023.
The iconic singing competition series welcomes music industry superstar judges: producer Huy Tuan, special guest judge Son Tung MTP, and the return of songstress My Tam and director Nguyen Quang Dung, who take their spots at the judges’ table yet again after appearances on Season 4 (2012), and on Seasons 1-4 respectively. Joining the judges is award-winning host and TV mainstay, Duc Bao, to help discover Vietnam’s next singing sensation.
The all-new season premieres on July 8th (Saturday), 8:15pm (Vietnam), and viewers will be able to tune in to VTV3 and the show’s official YouTube channel weekly to follow every step of the Idol journey. The road to stardom involves 3 months of intense competition – starting from the in-person open casting calls and a highlight music festival in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – where 100 contenders will sing their way through the Selection Rounds for a shot at the Theatre Rounds, Live Rounds, and then the Finals Gala. This revival will have an especial focus on its youth audiences and auditionees, as the show builds up its presence on all major social platforms and local university campuses for casting.
Haryaty Rahman, EVP Distribution Asia, International at Fremantle said: “We are thrilled to partner with Cat Tien Sa and VTV3 to bring back the highly anticipated Vietnam Idol for audiences in the region. Idols is a renowned format in Vietnam and globally – after 7 years off air, we are incredibly excited to see the new generation of stars that Vietnam Idol will soon uncover.”
Nguyen Quang Minh, CEO at Cat Tien Sa Media Group, commented: “This year’s revival of Vietnam Idol just demonstrates the enduring recognition of the show as a platform for stars. We look forward to inviting budding idols from all regions, genres and walks of life to audition. We’ve even opened up the chance for Vietnamese talents living abroad to join Vietnam Idol 2023 – and to discover the next great musical sensation.”