Oscars 2025 LIVE updates: Wicked stars grace the red carpet, Kamala Harris rumoured to attend

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: nothing can beat Ryan Gosling’s breathtaking performance of I’m Just Ken at the Oscars last year. I mean, come on. Not only was he wearing a bedazzling pink suit, he also karate chopped two pink wooden boards live on stage.

That’s not to say this year’s performers won’t try to match Gosling’s astounding “Ken-ergy”. Wicked duo Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are expected to kick things off tonight, presumably with some kind of medley from the hit musical. How much space the crowd will hold for them, only time will tell.

Doja Cat, Raye and Lisa (from K-pop group Blackpink) will also hit the stage for what the Academy has called a “showstopping celebration of cinema”. What that actually means, no one knows yet, but what we do know is that the trio will not be performing their recent single Born Again, which they released last month.

Then there’s the one and only Queen Latifah. Yes, you read that right – the legendary singer, rapper and actress will perform a tribute for Quincy Jones, the seven-time Oscar nominee who died in November.

According to Variety, there will also be a musical tribute to James Bond in honour of its longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson; however, the exact numbers are not yet known. And finally, the iconic Los Angeles Master Chorale will also perform.

The Oscars are technically all about cinema, but that doesn’t mean the Academy doesn’t know how to get a crowd on its feet.