The top three finalists of “American Idol” season 23 are headed home for a heroes’ welcome after earning enough of the 19 million votes cast on May 12, 2025, to advance to the upcoming finale.
All three rising stars — Jamal Roberts, John Foster, and Breanna Nix — will head to their hometowns for parades, concerts, and emotional reunions with their friends and families. But they can’t stay long, because they have to prepare for their final night of competition — a live three-hour, star-studded finale on May 18.
‘American Idol’ Finalists Will Be Celebrated in Their Hometowns on May 14
Following Ryan Seacrest’s May 12 announcement that Roberts, Foster, and Nix had made it through to the top 3, producers quickly got them ready for their hometown visits, an annual “American Idol” tradition. Each of their hometowns tentatively planned events for May 14 with ABC producers, hoping their homegrown contestants would wind up in the top 3.
Roberts, 27, is heading home to Meridian, Mississippi — population 35,000 — where he’s a physical education teacher at Crestwood Elementary. The school district has adorably nicknamed him “America’s Favorite P.E. Teacher” and there’s a good chance “American Idol” cameras will capture him visiting the students and staff there.
The city of Meridian will host a parade, starting at the Lauderdale County Courthouse at 5:30 p.m. and winding its way to City Hall, where Roberts will perform a mini-concert.
Nix, 25, will head home to Denton, Texas, which is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, with a population of about 150,000. According to radio station 99.5 The Wolf, the celebrations there will start at 9 a.m. on May 14, when local ice cream shop Beth Marie’s hosts a meet-and-greet with Nix and unveils a new ice cream flavor in her honor.
Denton officials have planned a parade on the city square starting at 4:30 p.m., and Nix is expected to perform a concert there at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Foster heads back to Addis, Louisiana — a town of about 7,000 people located in West Baton Rouge Parish. He’ll also take part in a parade, which town officials have scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. and deliver a mini-concert at Waterfront Park in nearby Plaquemine at 7:30 p.m.
Once the three singers visit their hometowns, they’ll jet back to Los Angeles to prepare for the finale and to also work on recording their first singles, which will be released by ABC’s record label partner, 19 Entertainment.
Star-Studded Lineup for ‘American Idol’ Season 23 Finale
Roberts, Foster, and Nix perform live on May 18, competing for “American Idol” viewers’ votes one last time. The top 14 contestants are already back in Los Angeles, preparing to perform on the finale with their peers, per Billboard — and with a huge lineup of celebrity performers.
The lineup of planned celebrity performers includes Brandon Lake, Goo Goo Dolls, Good Charlotte, Jennifer Holliday, Jessica Simpson, Kirk Franklin, Myles Smith, Patti LaBelle, Salt-N-Pepa, and season 23 guest mentor Josh Groban.
The night will also include a performance by all three judges together — Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan — and a song from artist-in-residence Jelly Roll. It all starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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What’s Next for Top 3 of ‘American Idol’ 2025, From Hometown Visits to Star-Studded Finale