Netflix’s Building the Band feels like a fever dream for anyone who grew up on TRL and the glossy pop era of the early 2000s. It’s basically a high-stakes social experiment where the singers can’t see each other while they're forming a group. Think Love is Blind but with harmonies and choreography instead of engagement rings. Since the show was first announced, fans have been scouring social media for clues about the timeline. People want to know: when was Building the Band filmed, and more importantly, why did it take so long to see the light of day?
The truth is, the production didn't just happen overnight. It was a massive logistical undertaking.
The Manchester Summer: When Building the Band Filmed
Most of the primary filming for Building the Band took place during the summer of 2024. Specifically, the production team took over Aviva Studios in Manchester, UK, for several weeks. If you were around the Spinningfields area in June and July of 2024, you probably saw the literal and metaphorical smoke from the set.
Why Manchester? It’s basically the Hollywood of the North now.
The city provided the perfect backdrop for a show that required massive soundstages and high-end acoustics. Filming wrapped up toward the end of the summer, specifically around August 2024. While the contestants were isolated, the celebrity mentors were frequently spotted moving between their hotels and the studio.
Honestly, the timeline is tighter than you’d think for a show of this scale. Usually, these reality competitions sit in the "can" for a year or more, but the buzz around this particular cast meant the producers were under a lot of pressure to get it moving.
📖 Related: Isaiah Washington Movies and Shows: Why the Star Still Matters
The Liam Payne Connection and Production Delays
You can't talk about when the show was filmed without addressing the tragic context that now surrounds it. Liam Payne, the former One Direction star, served as a guest judge and mentor during the 2024 filming sessions. He worked alongside Nicole Scherzinger, Kelly Rowland, and host AJ McLean.
His involvement is the main reason people have been asking about the filming dates.
After Liam’s devastating passing in Buenos Aires in October 2024, the show’s future felt uncertain. There were reports from sources like The Sun and US Weekly suggesting that Netflix was considering the best way to handle the release. Since the filming had already concluded months prior to his death, the footage remains a poignant final look at his role as a mentor. It's heavy. It’s complicated. It changes the way we watch the show.
The producers had to decide whether to edit around certain moments or keep the footage as a tribute to his expertise. Most insiders agree that the filming captured in the summer of 2024 shows a side of Liam that was genuinely passionate about the craft of being in a band.
A Massive Technical Setup
The filming wasn't just about pointing a camera at people singing.
👉 See also: Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett: Why Fans Are Still Divided Over the Daimyo of Tatooine
Because the gimmick of the show is that the band members are separated by walls, the production design at Aviva Studios was a nightmare to build. They had to ensure complete visual isolation while maintaining perfect audio feeds so the singers could actually harmonize. If you've ever tried to sing over a Zoom call, you know the lag is a killer. This required a custom-built infrastructure that was installed in late spring 2024, just before the cameras started rolling.
Who Was on Set?
- AJ McLean: The Backstreet Boys legend was there for the duration of the summer shoot, acting as the bridge between the contestants and the mentors.
- Nicole Scherzinger: Fresh off her Olivier Award win, she brought a level of "pussycat doll" discipline that allegedly intimidated a few of the hopefuls.
- Kelly Rowland: The Destiny's Child alum was reportedly the "heart" of the filming process, focusing on the chemistry between the singers.
Why the Filming Timeline Matters for the Groups
In most reality shows, the "real world" happens months after the cameras stop. For the bands formed during the 2024 Manchester sessions, that gap is crucial. They’ve had to keep their identities and their group status a secret for a long time.
Imagine forming a band in July 2024, recording songs, and then having to wait until 2025 or 2026 to actually post a TikTok together. That’s the reality of the Netflix "hold" period. It’s a strange limbo. You’re a pop star in a vacuum.
The bands were reportedly put through intensive "boot camps" during the filming period. This wasn't just a 9-to-5 job. These were 14-hour days in the studio. If you look at the background of some of the contestants' Instagram posts from July 2024, you'll see the tell-tale signs of British hotel rooms and Manchester rainy days.
What This Means for the Audience
When you finally watch the show, you aren't just seeing a competition. You're seeing a snapshot of the music industry in mid-2024. The trends, the fashion, and the vocal styles are all locked into that specific window.
✨ Don't miss: Why Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Actors Still Define the Modern Spy Thriller
It’s also worth noting that the show didn't just film the performances. They filmed hundreds of hours of "behind-the-wall" footage. This required a massive crew operating in shifts to catch every whisper and every bit of drama that happened when the mentors weren't even in the room.
The logistical footprint was huge.
Moving Forward With Building the Band
If you’re looking to follow the journey of these artists, the best thing to do is look at the summer of 2024 as ground zero. That was the moment lives changed.
The industry is watching this release closely. It’s a test of whether the "blind" format works for talent beyond just dating. It's about whether chemistry can be manufactured through a wall.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Artists:
- Study the Mentors: Pay close attention to the advice given by Kelly Rowland and AJ McLean during the episodes. Their critiques are based on decades of actual touring experience, not just TV personality fluff.
- Track the Artists: Follow the social media accounts of the contestants. Many of them began hinting at "big projects" in late 2024, which aligns perfectly with the post-filming window.
- Watch the Production Design: Notice the layout of the Manchester sets. It's a masterclass in how to film a show that relies on physical separation.
- Understand the Delay: Recognize that the gap between the summer 2024 filming and the eventual release date is often due to complex editing and legal clearances, especially when dealing with international music rights.
The story of Building the Band is as much about what happened behind the scenes in Manchester as it is about the music itself. The 2024 filming period captured a very specific moment in time—one of high ambition, tragic loss, and the eternal hope of finding the next big thing.