In-Person Auditions

The in-person audition tour is a new addition for the 2026 cycle. Instead of relying only on uploaded video submissions, Kai Cenat's team set up open-call audition stops where creators could show up in person, sign in, and pitch themselves directly to a casting panel on camera. New York was the flagship stop, and the line wrapped around the block before doors opened. Los Angeles followed, bringing the same energy to the West Coast with another open-call stop packed with creators.

What actually happened on the day

Applicants were checked in, given a number, and pulled in small groups into a holding area while cameras rolled. Each creator had a short window in front of the panel — long enough to say who they were, what they streamed, and why they wanted to be in the building. The format rewarded people who showed up with a clear sentence about themselves and punished people who tried to read a paragraph off their phone.

What stood out

• Energy management. The strongest auditions came from people who treated the wait in line as part of the audition. The crowd was on stream too.
• Specificity. "I'm a Just Chatting streamer" lost every time to "I run a late-night cooking show from my mom's kitchen."
• Respect for the room. The producers running the door are not props. Creators who were rude to staff did not move forward.

If you missed it

The in-person tour is not the only path to the cast — most of the class historically comes from the online application pool. If you weren't in New York or Los Angeles, the best thing you can do right now is keep streaming on your normal schedule and tighten your channel page. Reviewers do check.

For more context on how the whole program runs, read our complete guide to Streamer University 2026.