Oscars 2025 Odds: New York And Las Vegas Venues Battle It Out To Host Awards
At this time of year Hollywood would usually be a buzzing hive of excitement ahead of the Academy Awards in March.
But in 2025, the people of Los Angeles have something more important on their minds than an awards ceremony - their city is on fire.
Devastating wildfires have swept across LA, killing at least 25 people and destroying more than 12,000 structures across 60 square miles.
It's not known when the fires will stop burning, and when they do the after-effects will be felt for years to come.
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Four members of the Academy's board of governors have lost their houses in the fire.
However, the show must go on.
The Academy's CEO, Bill Kramer, and president, Janet Yang, have insisted the spectacle will still take place on Sunday, March 2, and, at the time of writing, it's expected to take place at its usual venue - Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre.
But there have already been some changes.
Amid the terrifying wildfires, Hollywood has responded by delaying the 2025 Academy Awards nominations from January 17 to January 19, and they've since been moved again to January 23.
While the Academy are determined to still house this year's Oscars in Hollywood, insisting the event will "bring a sense of healing to our global film community", if things worsen between now and March 2 then a change of venue might be required.
If the Oscars do move away from LA this year, Las Vegas is the early frontrunner on betting sites to host the 2025 Academy Awards.
Oscars 2025 Alternative Locations Odds
Venue | Odds | Probability |
Sphere (Las Vegas) | 11/8 | 42.1% |
The MGM Grand (Las Vegas) | 15/8 | 34.8% |
Madison Square Garden (New York) | 2/1 | 33.3% |
Caesars Palace (Las Vegas) | 3/1 | 25% |
Prudential Center (New Jersey) | 7/2 | 22.2% |
UBS Arena (New York) | 4/1 | 20% |
Bridgestone Arena (Nashville | 5/1 | 16.7% |
The Exploratorium (San Francisco) | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Barclays Center (New York) | 8/1 | 11.1% |
The Phoenix Art Museum (Phoenix) | 10/1 | 9/1% |
Oscars In The Sphere
Las Vegas' Sphere is one of the most talked about venues in recent times, due to its immersive video and audio capabilities, which include a mesmerising 160,000-square-foot wraparound LED display around the interior of the venue.
It certainly looks the part, and where better to house Hollywood's finest, if it's not at the Dolby Theatre, than Sphere?
The venue is the early 11/8 favourite to be the setting for the 97th Academy Awards, which will be hosted by Conan O'Brien, but it could face competition from some other Sin City arenas.
The MGM Grand (15/8) is second-favourite and has plenty of awards show pedigree.
The glitzy venue knows how to put on a show after previously hosting the Grammy Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and the Latin Grammy Awards.
Caesars Palace (3/1), which is known for hosting residencies featuring some of the world's top music acts, also needs no introduction.
Sir Elton John, Celine Dion, Adele, Sir Rod Stewart and Madonna have all had concert residencies at the Colosseum inside Caesars Palace.
Could the likes of Nicole Kidman, Ralph Fiennes and Zoe Saldana move in for one night only?
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The Big Apple To Step In?
Should the Academy decide to move the Oscars this year and fancy a switch to the east side of America, then a New York venue is likely to be a big runner.
Step forward Madison Square Garden.
The multi-purpose indoor arena is no stranger to star-studded spectacles after hosting the Grammy Awards on four occasions, most recently in 2018, as well as the Latin Grammy Awards.
The Garden, as it is affectionately known, is 2/1 on betting apps to house this year's Oscars ceremony, but the arena could face competition just 11 miles down the road.
New York's Prudential Center (7/2) is also thought to be in contention, after the venue featured the MTV Video Music Awards in 2023 and 2022.
The UBS Arena, on New York's Long Island, took over VMAs hosting duties last year, and, at 5/1, the Big Apple venue is another runner to be the setting for this year's Oscars.
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Low-Key Oscars Venue
The Academy might opt for a move away from the bright lights of Vegas and New York, especially given the circumstances.
If Oscars bosses are searching for a more low-key venue to hark back to when the ceremony took place in Los Angeles' Union Station in 2021.
Amid the Covid pandemic, then San Francisco's The Exploratorium (6/1) or Phoenix's The Phoenix Art Museum (10/1), could be just what they're looking for.
There was a more serious tone at the 2021 Academy Awards, and just 170 people attended the awards show inside the LA train station.
However, Kramer and Yang have said they want to honour "our frontline workers who have aided with the fires" during the ceremony, so they might need a large alternative venue after all.
If so, the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee - which hosts The Country Music Association (CMA) Awards annually - could have an outside chance at 5/1.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
