We found secret way to watch Oscars for free on Sunday
The Oscars remain the ultimate prize in Hollywood. It’s the award Leonardo DiCaprio chased for decades before finally winning, the stage where Matthew McConaughey’s heartfelt “three things every day” speech moved audiences around the world, and the moment where stars, both new and established, find true validation. And in 2026, the competition for the golden statuette looks fiercer than ever.
Leading the battle are the Best Actor nominees, including Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, who has perhaps been the most vocal about his chase for greatness. But he faces some formidable competition, including Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another and Michael B. Jordan for Sinners.
On the actresses’ side, Emma Stone for Bugonia is widely considered the favourite, though Jessie Buckley delivered an equally compelling performance in Hamnet. In fact, it was a surprise that her co-star Paul Mescal did not receive a nomination.
The Oscars 2026 ceremony will air live in more than 100 countries around the world. But some lucky viewers – in the UK and Australia, as well as in the US through a few sneaky methods – can watch the entire three-and-a-half-hour spectacle completely free. Read on to find out how…
How to watch the 2026 Oscars for free in the US, Canada, Australia and beyond?
2026 Oscars is live on ITVX (they also offer on-demand) – meaning you can watch for free right now. Outside UK? Use a VPN to access your UK services from anywhere, terms allowing – we’re watching Oscars on ITV right now and it works fine.
A word of warning: You’ll need a strong VPN (not a cheap/free one). So We tested the likes of Express VPN – all do the trick. It’s clearly a popular workaround for accessing 2026 Oscars without paying for a fancy cable package.
When will the 2026 Oscars take place?
The 98th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 15, at the iconic Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. The ceremony will begin at 7pm ET / 4pm PT, with the show expected to run for around three and a half hours.
Who will host the 2026 Oscars?
Conan O’Brien has been confirmed as the host of the 98th Academy Awards for what will be his second consecutive year.
“This year, I know where the doughnuts are. I know my way around a little bit, and so, I think that’s going to be fun,” Conan said.
In remarks this week, the comedian explained he believes the key to success on the Oscar stage is having a good time and staying in the moment.
He added that he and his writing team are still refining the material ahead of the show, to keep it as current as possible.
“What’s happening in the world will be reflected in the show,” he said.
Who is presenting?
As is tradition, last year’s acting winners will return to present awards at the ceremony. They include Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain), Mikey Madison (Anora) and Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez).
They will be joined by a wide range of actors and filmmakers presenting throughout the night, including Javier Bardem, Chris Evans, Chase Infiniti, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani, Maya Rudolph, Will Arnett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Robert Downey Jr, Anne Hathaway, Paul Mescal, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rose Byrne, Nicole Kidman, Jimmy Kimmel, Delroy Lindo, Ewan McGregor, Wagner Moura, Pedro Pascal, Bill Pullman, Lewis Pullman, Channing Tatum and Sigourney Weaver.
Who is performing at the Oscars?
This year’s show will feature two musical performances tied to the Best Original Song nominees.
Rei Ami, EJAE and Audrey Nuna are set to perform the hit single Golden from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters, and actor Miles Caton will reprise the song he sang in the movie Sinners, called I Lied to You, alongside songwriter Raphael Saadiq.
Like the film itself, the Sinners musical performance at the Oscars will serve as a tribute to Black artistry across generations and genres.
As such, it will include an array of artists, from ballerina Misty Copeland to rocker Brittany Howard to blues and jazz musicians like Eric Gales, Bobby Rush and Alice Smith, among others.
What movies have the most nominations?
Sinners is the most-nominated film in Academy Award history with 16 nominations.
That tally broke the previous record of 14 nominations, which was held by three films: All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997) and La La Land (2016).
Ryan Coogler’s feature mixes supernatural horror, romance and blues culture. Set in 1932 Clarksdale, Mississippi, the story centres on a community opening a juke joint that soon finds itself under siege by vampires.
“I wrote this script for my uncle who passed away 11 years ago,” Ryan Coogler said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I got to imagine that he’s listening to some blues music right now to celebrate.”
One Battle After Another follows with 13 nods at this year’s Oscars, while Frankenstein, Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value each secured nine nominations.
The Academy also continued its tilt towards international films with this year’s lineup of nominees. Every major acting category, for instance, included at least one international nominee.
