Oscars 2026: Your Ultimate Guide to watch the 98th Academy Awards from India

The curtain is rising on the 98th Academy Awards. As Hollywood gathers to celebrate its finest, make sure you have the best seat in the house and don't miss a thing. Here's the comprehensive guide to find out exactly where and when to watch the Oscars 2026 live.

The 98th annual Academy Awards will be broadcast live on March 16, 2026, and start at an earlier time than usual - one whole hour before its typical kickoff time. The live broadcast will start at 4:30 AM IST on Monday. 

The nominees for this year's Academy Awards were announced back in late January and include entertainers like Elle Fanning, Wunmi Mosaku, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Hudson, Emma Stone, Jessie Buckley, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Stellan Skarsgård. Directors like Chloe Zhao, Josh Safdie, Joachim Trier, Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler and films like Bugonia, F1, Hamnet, Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sinners and Train Dreams.

The 98th edition of the annual awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Below, find out how to watch the Oscars 2026 live, via streaming or digital platforms, as well as the presenters, performers, and red carpet hosts.

Who is hosting and presenting at the 2026 Oscars?

Late Night host Conan O'Brien is returning as the show's host, his second time hosting the Oscars. Brien has filmed multiple promos featuring his signature humour, highlighting his second consecutive year of hosting and giving a glimpse of his deep preparation for the event.

Who is presenting?

Presenters for this year's Oscars include 2025 winners. Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison and Zoe Saldana will present the award along with Javier Bardem, Chris Evans, Chase Infiniti, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani, Anne Hathaway, Will Arnett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr.

Who is performing at the 2026 Oscars?

As is tradition, Best Original Song nominees will take the Oscars stage to perform live renditions of their nominated records. This means you can look forward to "Golden" (from KPop Demon Hunters) performed by Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami and "I Lied to You" (from Sinners) by Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq.

How can I watch the 2026 Oscars?

The 98th Academy Awards will air live on JioHotstar, Star Movies, Star Movies Select and Colors Infinity, on March 16, 2026, starting at 4:30 AM IST. Globally, the ceremony will be telecast in more than 200 territories. You can check your local listings here.

How can I watch the red carpet?

The official Oscars pre-show, titled The Oscars Red Carpet Show, will be 30 minutes long and the celebrity arrivals will begin at 4:30 AM IST on Monday, March 16, 2026. The pre-show will be hosted by Tamron Hall and Jesse Palmer.

The Oscars 2026 will commence on Monday, March 16, at 07:30 am.