2023 Academy Awards duration: How long is the Oscars ceremony?

In partnership with ABC and international broadcasters, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can broadcast the Oscars live to audiences across the globe.

To ensure that viewers at home and those present in the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles stay engaged, the Academy tries to limit the ceremony to three and a half hours.

The 95th Academy Awards will begin at 5 pm PT/8 pm ET and end around 8:30 pm PT/11 pm ET if all goes as planned.

However, when speeches go long, presenters are not ready to go on stage, or unexpected incidents arise, shows can go long. The host is supposed to help keep the event on track, but in recent years the Academy has opted for host-free Oscars. After three years without an official host, the organization brought comedians Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes to welcome the industry back from the pandemic. This year, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel will take on the hosting responsibilities for the third time.

Want to follow what’s happening on the red carpet and the ceremony? Tune into our live blog, which will bring you the latest.

Which was the longest ceremony in Oscar history?

The longest Oscar ceremony took place in 2002. That year, the host of the event was comedian and Oscar winner herself, Whoopi Goldberg, who presided over a ceremony that lasted 4 hours and 23 minutes. As the years have progressed, efforts have been made to streamline the distribution of awards, to avoid going over time.