Russian television network Channel One will bring back the music reality show Star Factory in 2027 under the title Star Factory. Battle of Generations, returning to the airwaves 15 years after its original final season ended.
The updated vocal competition will feature two prominent celebrity mentors with contrasting producer approaches who will compete against one another while guiding teams of young artists.
The original Russian project ran from 2002 to 2012, serving as a launching pad for numerous pop music careers across the country.
Release Schedule and Broadcast Details
Reports regarding the revival of Star Factory first emerged in June 2026. The head of Channel One, Konstantin Ernst, confirmed the project shortly after initial media coverage appeared. In July 2026, network officials formally announced the official title as Star Factory. Battle of Generations.
Channel One has not yet released an exact premiere date for Star Factory. Battle of Generations. According to media reports, the series is expected to air in early 2027, with a broadcast window targeted between January and March. The network has kept the total number of episodes and specific episode runtimes undisclosed.
Filming for the series has not yet commenced, and a full trailer has not been released. Channel One initiated the casting process for prospective contestants during the summer of 2026.
History of the Star Factory Franchise
The original Star Factory franchise aired on Channel One for a decade, spanning seven standard seasons and two specialized edition seasons. The first special season, titled Return, brought back successful contestants from earlier years, while the second special season, titled Russia and Ukraine, featured top performers from both the Russian and Ukrainian versions of the program.
Over its initial ten-year run, the show produced several prominent music figures in Russian entertainment. High-profile alumni include singers Polina Gagarina, Yulianna Karaulova, Stas Piekha, Prokhor Chaliapin, and Dmitry Koldun, as well as rapper Timati, whose real name is Timur Yunusov. The competition also formed popular music groups including Korni, Yin-Yang, and BiS.
In 2017, music television network Muz-TV launched a single-season reboot titled New Star Factory. Seven years later, in 2024, commercial network TNT picked up the format for a second season of New Star Factory, which concluded that same year.
Star House Format and Competition Rules
Star Factory combines elements of a standard singing contest with an immersive reality television format. Selected contestants, referred to on the show as fabrikanty, move into a shared residence known as the Star House. Participants live under one roof until the final round, remaining under constant camera surveillance with almost no contact with the outside world.
Throughout each week, contestants undergo intensive training to develop their artistic skills. Their schedule includes vocal lessons, choreography sessions, acting instruction, and stage presence training, alongside masterclasses led by established entertainment figures. The daily activities of the participants, including personal conflicts and domestic life, are broadcast on weekdays in dedicated television updates titled Star House Diaries.
The central event of each week is a live reporting concert where contestants perform solo routines, ensemble numbers, or duets with guest artists. Following the concert, a teaching council composed of the week's instructors selects three nominees for elimination. Viewers save one nominee through public voting, the contestants vote to save a second nominee, and the third nominee leaves the Star House. Network producers retain the authority to step in and save all three nominees in special cases.
The winner of the competition receives a contract to record a solo studio album and work directly with professional music producers. The 2027 reboot is expected to maintain this traditional structure, including the Star House residency, weekly reporting concerts, and celebrity masterclasses.
Casting Requirements and Host Selection
Previous seasons of the original show accommodated between 16 and 18 contestants. Network producers have not yet specified how many young artists will be selected for the new season.
Casting for the upcoming season opened in July 2026 and remained active through late September 2026. Auditions are restricted to solo performers between 16 and 25 years of age. A video announcement for the show stated that the legend was returning and asked young, ambitious, and talented performers to apply.
Television presenter Yana Churikova, who hosted all nine seasons of the original Channel One franchise, will return to host Star Factory. Battle of Generations. Churikova has provided updates on the audition process through her social media channels, stating in late September that the production team was still receiving candidate applications. Producers have not stated whether a separate host will present Star House Diaries or if the weekday format will be included in the reboot.
Star Mentors and Producer Rivalry
The defining feature of Star Factory. Battle of Generations is the inclusion of two rival mentors who will manage competing teams of contestants. Similar team formats were utilized during the eighth season of the original show, which featured teams led by Igor Matvienko, Igor Krutoy, Viktor Drobysh, and Konstantin Meladze, as well as the second season of New Star Factory, which pitted teams under Sergey Zhukov and Sergey Shnurov against each other.
Channel One head Konstantin Ernst explained that the new season will focus on a head-to-head competition between producers representing different generations. Ernst stated that the project would serve as an attempt to bring two distinct musical practices and styles into direct confrontation.
Music producer Igor Matvienko and rapper Basta will serve as the two mentors for the reboot. Matvienko is the founder of the musical groups Lubeh and Ivanushki International, and he composed major hits including Horse for Lubeh, Clouds and Doll for Ivanushki International, and That Was You Declaring War for Korni.
Matvienko previously served as a mentor during the first, fifth, eighth, and ninth seasons of Star Factory, guiding singer Viktoria Dayneko to victory in the eighth season. Basta, whose real name is Vasily Vakulenko, is a rapper, producer, and founder of the Gazgolder record label. While Vakulenko has not previously worked on Star Factory, he has served as a mentor on the second season of Songs on TNT and across five seasons of The Voice on Channel One.
