Something Truly Historic Is Happening on The Voice Season 28 After Knockouts
Here’s what you need to know about where The Voice Season 28 is headed!
No more Saves, no more Steals, and The Voice Season 28 Knockouts are almost over. Soon, we’ll know which four Artists got the Mic Drop, and starting November 24, fans can vote via the official Voice app for which one they want to see perform in the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day 2026. But what comes next?
In between Knockouts and Live Shows are the Playoffs. Instead of head-to-head competitions where Artists only have to worry about out-singing one other person from their team, Coaches will evaluate their teams holistically and choose one (yes, just one) Artist to advance to the Live Shows.
But six Artists total will be sent to Lives, so how are the other two determined? From the Artists not advanced by the Coaches, fans will vote two into the Live Shows. This is an unprecedented first for The Voice Playoffs. Then from these six Artists, the ultimate Voice champion will be chosen, as always, by the fans.
The goal of the Playoff performance is to be the single most impressive Artist on your team, or else you end up going home. In some previous seasons, Coaches had the ability to send two Artists forward, but in Season 28, they can only choose one.
It’s been a season of firsts on The Voice
Longtime fans of The Voice were no doubt excited to watch Artists pair themselves up for the Battles for the first time ever, and the Mic Drop is a new addition to the Knockouts. But the twists began all the way back in the Blind Auditions with the Carson Callback Card, which let Host Carson Daly bring back an Artist who got no chair turns and give them the chance to try out again.
“Sometimes the Coaches just don’t get it right,” Daly said backstage as he granted this rare opportunity to singer Ryan Mitchell, explaining that he wanted to offer him the spot because, “We rarely get a cool alt-rock Artist on the show anymore.”
“Twenty-eight seasons, I see Coaches let great singers like yourself fall through the cracks sometimes, and I’ve never been able to do anything about it until right now. Ryan, this is the Carson Callback Card. You’re just too good to let go. Pick a new song. Ryan, you have 24 hours to prepare for this second and last chance,” Daly said, sending Mitchell home to practice. A day later, Mitchell’s rocker rendition of “…Baby One More Time” got him a last-minute button push from Reba McEntire. He’s still in the competition, proving that first impressions can be deceiving.
Daly treasures his role as a backseat guide for the Artists. “I love being, like, literally their host. Being on television is my least favorite part of it all, but kind of being the ambassador of the show to the families and making sure they’re comfortable, and I think you see that during the Auditions,” Daly shared with TODAY in 2021. “You know, I’m living and dying with them. I’m just jumping up and down screaming when they get a chair to turn and I’m giving hugs and handing Kleenex when they don’t get on the show.” With the stress of the upcoming Playoffs, they’ll need Daly more than ever!
