The Voice is celebrating a big milestone on the 2026 TV schedule. NBC’s long-running singing competition series is officially in its 30th season, and the network is pulling out all the stops. Adam Levine and Blake Shelton have reignited their bromance during the three-night season premiere, which kicked off on Monday. It’s hard to believe that the show is celebrating 30 seasons, and Levine had no clue the show would be the “juggernaut” it is today. Yet fellow coach Kelly Clarkson understands the success, and I love that.
Whenever a show starts out, it’s hard to say how it’s going to go, as it can either be a success or a bust. So it’s not surprising to know that Levine, who had been a coach on the first 16 seasons before returning for Season 27 and again for Seasons 29 and 30, wasn’t sure where The Voice would go. The Maroon 5 frontman recalled to People how “there was no show” when Voice was still new, explaining that no one had any idea just how big it would go on to be:
Season 1, it didn’t exist. And so, I was like, ‘What is this?’ I didn’t know what it was. So it was a little different because it wasn’t an existing thing. And so I didn’t have any idea that it would become so successful. I had no idea what I was signing up for.
It may seem wild to say this now, but The Voice — which debuted in 2011 — was something of a risk for Levine. Not only was it a new show but, at the time, the singer-songwriter himself didn’t have much experience with the reality competition genre, aside from his brief stint on Canadian Idol. Levine also recalled:
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So it could have just been something that no one ever knew about, that was just kind of a risk that was worth taking; then it turned into this juggernaut that no one ever knew would happen. So I think I was just a little bit more experimental about it. I’m like, ‘Oh well, give it a shot, press this button, turn my chair around.’ You know what I mean? It was all foreign.
I definitely see where Levine is coming from. While there were a handful of singing and talent competition shows on TV, The Voice marked a new format. And, of course, the genre — in general — can be fickle. No one knows that better than Clarkson. She won the very first season of American Idol back in 2002 and, at that time, no one knew how long the series would go. Now, she’s one of the most famous Idol contestants from its various season, and it’s all because the show took risks and, like The Voice, turned into quite the phenomenon. Clarkson shared:
Same thing for my first season, Idol’s first season. Nobody knew what it could be or anything.
It’s pretty insane thinking about the beginnings of American Idol and The Voice, knowing that these two shows have become such hits and have had quite an impact on audiences. As Voice heads into Season 30, Idol is starting its 25th season, and both series show no signs of slowing down.
I, for one, am grateful that fans took a chance on The Voice, and that Levine was more than willing to give it a shot, despite not knowing what could happen. Of course, it could have gone one of two ways, and I’m glad that it went in the positive direction. Levine also still can’t wrap his head around it:
It was either going to be a dud or have some magic materialize out of nothing. But there were no tutorials. There was really no explanations, I didn’t do any of my homework, because I’m that guy. It was so crazy. And then it blew up. It was wild.
As The Voice Season 30 gets started, Season 31 is already being prepped. The upcoming season, set to premiere during midseason 2027, will be taking on a new format. Hosted by Keke Palmer and not longtime host Carson Daly, Season 31 will be a celebrity edition, with a whole variety of famous faces seeing if they have what it takes to be the next winner. Needless to say, even after all this time, the show’s producers are still taking risks and keeping Levine, Clarkson and co. on their toes.
Fans will be able to tune in to the milestone 30th season of The Voice as the three-night premiere continues on Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription. New episodes will subsequently premiere on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
