Nick Cannon recently unveiled the next chapter of his 20-plus-year franchise: Wild ‘N Out is going on a 20-city arena tour, and it’s bringing a full changing of the guard with it. “Wild ‘N Out, the next season, the next generation, the next iteration,” Cannon said during a press conference. “We are definitely taking the brand to a whole new level.”

The tour marks a major partnership with Live Nation, which Cannon says is designed to elevate Wild ‘N Out’s presence in touring while bridging the show’s legacy audience with a new generation of streaming and content-first fans.

“Obviously, you see we partnered with Live Nation in a big way, not only to give the brand an elevated sense in the space of touring, but also to bring the worlds together of this next generation when it comes to streaming, when it comes to content creating, when it comes to really just identify with the young demographic which built Wild ‘N Out now,” Cannon said. “So it’s pretty cool to be able to step into this space, a brand that has 20-plus-year heritage that so many people grew up with, but still just as relevant with the young people today.”

At the center of the tour is a nationwide talent search, framed as a series of city-versus-city battles. Cannon confirmed matchups including Wild ‘N Out vs. Detroit, vs. LA, vs. Chicago, and vs. Atlanta, with more cities to be added as the 20-city run rolls out. “It’s Wild ‘N Out vs. Detroit, it’s Wild ‘N Out vs. LA, it’s Wild ‘N Out vs. Chicago, Wild ‘N Out vs. Atlanta,” Cannon said. “So if you got talent, if you ready to be the next Wild ‘N Out superstar, this is your call to action. We gon’ find you. If you hot, if you funny, if you got bars, we pullin’ up on you.” Specific dates for each stop have not yet been announced.

Longtime cast members Conceited and Justina Valentine were brought out to help introduce the new era, with Cannon confirming that other franchise veterans, including DC Young Fly and Hitman Holla, will also join select stops throughout the tour.

But the headline of the day belonged to the new class of rookies stepping into the cast for the first time. Streamer Neon was the first named, after catching Cannon’s attention through a run of viral clips, including an appearance on Netflix Is A Joke, and a test run performing in Brooklyn.

“He shut it down in Brooklyn too, so I was like, yo, this dude is official, he’s ready to be a Wild ‘N Out cast member,” Cannon said. Freestyle rapper JDSNEVERMISSIN, from Virginia, was introduced next, with Cannon calling him “probably one of the best I’ve seen” on the freestyle radar. Florida streamer and freestyler Kozarkane! along with Brooklyn’s Zoe Spencer, a former track athlete turned comedic performer.

After two decades, Cannon says he’s still committed to building out the next generation rather than stepping back. “I believe one of my gifts is to find and recognize other people’s gifts,” he said. “There is a whole new generation of talent out there, and I really love being a talent discoverer. I love being a conduit. I love giving people opportunities, and that’s what this platform is all about.”

As for what fans can expect inside the arenas, Cannon promised a significantly elevated version of the show fans have watched on TV, with heavy crowd interaction built into the format. “When people buy tickets and want to come to Wild ‘N Out, they don’t want to just be sitting there watching us on stage being funny, they want to be a part of the show,” Cannon said, pointing to fan-favorite games like Tore Up From the Floor, Star Sightings, and Family Reunion as segments that have been reworked specifically for arena-sized crowd participation.

The tour will also debut a new segment called Insta Hits, where real artists on the bill drop new music live, and the crowd decides which record becomes the biggest hit of the night, with the winning track made available on streaming platforms the following day.

Cannon says the search for new talent doesn’t end once the tour does. Rookies who stand out in each city will have the chance to continue moving with the show as it evolves. “That’s the goal, that’s the beauty thing about Wild ‘N Out,” Cannon said. “I ain’t Don King, I ain’t signing nobody crazy. I just want to see you shine.”

WILD ‘N OUT LIVE NEW GENERATION TOUR DATES: 

Tue, Nov. 10 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
Thu, Nov. 12 – Inglewood, CA – Intuit Dome
Sat, Nov. 14 – Las Vegas, NV – Michelob ULTRA Arena
Sun, Nov. 15 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
Tue, Nov. 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Mortgage Matchup Center
Thu, Nov. 19 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Sat, Nov. 21 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Tue, Nov. 24 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC
Sat, Nov. 28 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
Mon, Nov. 30 – Tampa, FL – Benchmark International Arena
Tue, Dec. 1 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Wed, Dec. 2 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Fri, Dec. 4 – Atlantic City, NJ – Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
Sat, Dec. 5 – Hartford, CT – PeoplesBank Arena
Tue, Dec. 8 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Wed, Dec. 9 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
Fri, Dec. 11 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Sun, Dec. 13 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Tue, Dec. 15 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Thu, Dec. 17 – Chicago, IL – United Center