Everyone’s favourite reality renovation show is about to kick off

Image: Channel Nine

The Block 2025 is officially back for another year, and with it, a new set of contestants, challenges – and of course, location.

Led by longtime-hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft, this year the couples will take on five new-builds in the regional town of Daylesford, Victoria. And of course, returning to critique their hard work will be esteemed judges, Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Marty Fox.

“I would say what the audience can expect from this year is what I would call a classic Block series,” The Block’s executive producer and creator, Julian Cress, said. “We have a really diverse cast of hard-working people who are very competitive, engaged with their design, and of course we will have some high and lows.”

So what can we expect from the season 21? Below, everything you need to know about this year’s contestants, location and new format.

When Does The Block 2025 Start?

This year’s set of hopeful contestants. Image: Channel Nine
The Block 2025 begins on Sunday, July 27 at 7.00pm.

Airing on Channel 9 and 9Now, the season debut will mark the show’s 1000th episode and kick off a season guaranteed to surprise and delight.

As with past seasons, the room reveals will take place each Sunday night, with weekly episodes dropping ever Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, subject to channel scheduling.

Where Is The Block 2025 Filmed?

Judges Marty, Shaynna and Darren are set to take this season’s standards to an all-time high. Image: Channel Nine
This year’s season is filmed in the idyllic location of Daylesford in regional Victoria.

Just a 90-minute drive from Melbourne’s CBD, the tree-change town is nestled in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range and was named as Australia’s most welcoming city in 2024.

The Block site is situated within a new housing development called Middleton Field which occupies an area close to the town’s main shopping district and across from the popular Farmer’s Arms Hotel.

While last year’s effort to bring The Block to Daylesford ended in a local dispute that forced production onto Phillip Island, this year’s efforts have reportedly been a huge success.

“The production and the entire crew moved to Daylesford for three months during the build,” explained Cress. “Adding millions to the local economy, and were embraced with open arms.

“There is a reason why Daylesford is the number one weekend tourist destination in Australia – it’s a very beautiful town with an amazing community.”

And, as the home of the famous Mill Market – one of Australia’s biggest vintage stores – this year’s contestants will be spoilt for choice when it comes designing with a difference.

What Makes This Season Different?

Image: Channel Nine
Season 21 promises to flip the reality renovation script on its head with its new contestant-first format.

For the first time in Block history, the couples will be charged with building houses from scratch. Not only will each home have an identical layout, but they’ll each boast the same 346 square metres of living space set over 2300 square metres of land.

Of course, in line with previous seasons, the Julian Brenchley-designed homes will feature unique facades that offer contestants – and future buyers – a point of difference.

“With interiors, it really comes down to a styling exercise, and our contestants have to think outside the box to catch the judges’ eye for a win,” Scott Cam said of the new format. “They have to produce something spectacular from week one.”

But while a blank canvas provides its own type of pressure, it also means the couples won’t have to devote their precious time to demolition – a factor that Shelley Craft says will have the added benefit of keeping contestants clear-minded and better prepared for the week ahead. “Rather than a dirty, grubby, messy start where they had to demolish a room and rebuilt it in a week, to come into a clean frame is a much better mindset to be in.”

And with this year’s season banning all-nighters – yes that includes painting – the couples are going to need every spare minute they have.