ABC Airing Major Christmas Special on Thursday Night

The iHeart Radio Jingle Ball Tour is coming to ABC for the first time this Thursday. The annual live music event stops in several major cities across the country, with this year including Tampa, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Miami/Fort Lauderdale. Presented by Capital One, iHeartMedia’s holiday tour features numerous musical acts and surprises to get music fans into the Christmas spirit. This will be the first time the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Presented by Capital One has aired on ABC.

In addition, iHeartMedia and ABC have announced a new multiyear agreement for the Disney-owned network to become the exclusive television broadcast partner for the event. The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour stops will be part of the exclusive network special on Dec. 21 starting at 8 p.m. ET and will be available on demand and on Hulu the following day. The CW was the home of the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour special for more than a decade. It is also the home to the iHeartRadio Music Festival, but with the changing demographics and the network rebranding and shifting away from its young audience, the change isn’t much of a surprise.

“Our annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball lineup is one of our most anticipated of the year, and we’re excited to finally share who will be joining us on the road this season,” Tom Poleman, chief of programming officer for iHeartMedia said in a statement. “This event always showcases the best in pop music and gives our listeners the chance to celebrate the holiday season alongside their favorite artists. We’re thrilled with this year’s artists, and we can’t wait to see them put on a great show.”

The lineup for the two-hour special will include Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Niall Horan, OneRepublic, Sabrina Carpenter, Jelly Roll, Doechii, Paul Russell, Melanie Martinez, David Kushner, AJR, Pentatonix, and Big Time Rush. There will also be a special performance from Cher, including her hit “Believe,” which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The special will feature performances from Madison Square Garden in New York City and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, as well as backstage segments with featured performers and special presenters such as  Jared Leto, Jimmy Fallon, Andy Cohen, Martha Stewart, Dixie D’Amelio, Maddie Ziegler, Ariana Greenblatt, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Tate McRae.

Fans will want to tune in to iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Presented by Capital One this Thursday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET if they want to get into the holiday spirit. The special will be streaming on Hulu and on-demand the following day for those who missed it or simply want to rewatch it.