The auditions for Season 3 started in March 2008, as in auditions for the previous seasons. There was a form to fill in the Latin American Idol official site to try for auditions for 2008.
Auditions dates and cities for Season 3 were:
March 29, 2008 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
April 11, 2008 - Bogotá, Colombia
April 19, 2008 - Caracas, Venezuela
April 26, 2008 - Mexico City, México
May 3, 2008 - Panama City, Panama
Season 3 premiered on Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 9 pm in Sony Entertainment Television, with the auditions from Mexico. As American Idol and Canadian Idol, it also start using the new intro sequence. Episodes from Venezuela's and Argentina's auditions were broadcast on June 25 and June 26 respectively. Episodes from Colombia's and Panamá's auditions were broadcast on July 2 and July 3 respectively. Theatre Stage episodes were aired on July 9 and July 10, with the Top 30 being announced at the end of July 10 episode. Semifinals Episodes started on July 16. Finals Episodes started on August 13.
Semi-finalists are in alphabetical order by last name, and finalists by reverse chronological order of elimination.
Week 1 (August 13) - Songs from the 80s
Week 2 (August 20) - Songs by Enrique Iglesias
Week 3 (August 27) - Tropical Songs
Week 4 (September 3) - Rock with Pop influences
Week 5 (September 10) - Disco Songs
Week 6 (September 17) - Spanish Versions of American Songs
Week 7 (September 24) - Spanish Songs
Week 8 (October 1) - Remakes
Week 9 (October 8) - Songs Written for the Show
Week 1 (August 14) - Alejandra Guzmán
Week 2 (August 21) - Enrique Iglesias
Week 3 (August 28) - Cabas
Week 4 (September 4) - Aleks Syntek
Week 5 (September 11) - Kudai
Week 6 (September 18) - Fonseca
Week 7 (September 25) - Axel
Week 8 (October 2) - Luis Fonsi
Week 9 (October 9) - David Bisbal, Belanova, Beto Cuevas, and Carlos Peña.
Semi-finalists are in alphabetical order by last name, and finalists by reverse chronological order of elimination.
As of the first three concerts, the "Bottom" contestants were not directly mentioned. Instead, this chart shows the contestants who weren't called "Saved" at the moment of declaring the eliminated contestant(s) on each concert. The contestants that don't appear as "Bottom" on a specific date were announced as "Safe" before another contestant(s) was/were announced "Eliminated".*
On the seventh concert results show, the producers decided to send the four remaining finalists to their respective countries without making the ordinary elimination. Host Monchi Balestra announced that the votes of the seventh and eighth concerts would be merged, so the bottom two contestants would be eliminated on October 2 and the other two would pass to the final week.
- Sinahi Mendez - "Volveré" (Jesse & Joy)
- Ariana Dao Bolivar - "El Tiempo Que Duró Nuestro Amor" (Cristian Castro) (Wildcard)
- Rodrigo Tapia - "Dejame Ser Yo" (Luis Fonsi)
- Kelly Ojeda - "Un Día Sin Ti" (Roxette)
- José Manuel Espinoza - "Vuelve" (Reik) (Finalist)
- Margarita Henriquez - "El Mundo Que Soñé" (Laura Pausini) (Finalist)
- Licetty Alfaro - "No Hay Forma De Pedir Perdón" (Pedro Aznar) (Wildcard)
- Jesús Pardo - "Que Lástima" (Alejandro Fernández) (Finalist)
- Monserrath Franco - "Perdición" (La Quinta Estación) (Wildcard)
- Ricardo Rosas - "No Importa La Distancia" (Ricky Martin)
- Osvaldo Conde - "Que no me Pierda" (Diego Torres)
- Eliana Berreta - "Lo Que Son Las Cosas" (Ednita Nazario) (Wildcard)
- Iván Torcartés - "Antes" (Obie Bermúdez)
- Anne Lorain Lanier - "Amor A Medias" (Ha-Ash) (Finalist)
- Juan David Becerra - "Regresa A Mi" (Yuridia)
- Andrea Ponce - "Me Entrego A Ti" (Ha-Ash)
- Karina Catalán - "¿Quién Eres Tú?" (Yuri) (Wildcard)
- Manuel Arauz - "Si Tu Supieras" (Alejandro Fernández) (Finalist)
- Sandra Muente - "Si Ya Se Acabó" (Jennifer Lopez) (Finalist)
- Raquel Bustamante - "Me Va A Extrañar" (Ricardo Montaner) (Wildcard)
- Vanesa Leiro - "Atrévete" (Chenoa)
- María José Castillo - "Sin Ti" (Mariah Carey) (Finalist)
- Rodrigo Arizpe - "Sueña" (Luis Miguel)
- Francisca Silva - "La Paz De Tus Ojos" (La Oreja De Van Gogh) (Wildcard)
- Nicole Pillman - "Escucha A Tu Corazón" (Laura Pausini) (Finalist)
- Daniela Cevallos - "Él Me Mintió" (Amanda Miguel)
- Manuel Salas - "Dime Si Él" (Ricardo Arjona) (Finalist)
- Yina Gallego - "Te Busco" (Celia Cruz) (Wildcard)
- Carlos Quezada - "El Amor Que Soñé" (Mariah Carey)
- Pako Madrid - "Canta Corazón" (Alejandro Fernández) (Wildcard)
- Raquel Bustamante - "Tú" (Shakira) (Finalist)
- Monserrath Franco - "El Sol No Regresa" (La Quinta Estación)
- Ariana Dao Bolivar - "Reloj" (Luis Miguel)
- Francisca Silva - "Ahora Quien" (Marc Anthony) (Finalist)
- Eliana Berreta - "Sola Otra Vez" (Celine Dion)
- Licetty Alfaro - "Miénteme" (Bárbara Muñoz)
- Karina Catalán - "Pienso En Ti" (Adrianna Foster)
- Yina Gallego - "Malo" (Bebe)
- Pako Madrid - "El Alma En Pie" (Chenoa & David Bisbal) (Finalist)
All the winners of Golden Tickets went to the Theatre Stage on Buenos Aires, Argentina. Episodes of this stage were broadcast on July 9 and July 10. On July 10 with the final cuts made, the group of seminalists for this season was revealed.
The contestants left out of the semi finals from México's auditions were:
Grethel Jiménez Zavaleta, 19, Tuxtla Gutierrez, México
Yareli Lizette Ortega Herrera, 22, México D.F., México
Ildelfonso Acuña Ruiz, 26, Hermosillo, México
Ari Benedicto Castro, 22, Puebla, México
Miriam Jackeline Solis Sierra, 25, Guadalajara, México
Paulina Cerda Manzo, 15, San Luis Potosí, México
Patricia Castillo Muñoz, 25, Aguascalientes, México
Víctor Manuel Gonzalez Velásquez, 26, Mexicali, México
Claudia Lizbeth Fuentes Nevarez, 25, Chihuahua, México
Rodolfo Alejandro Escalera, 20, Torreón, México
Karina Guadalupe Esparza Rodriguez, 17, Culiacán, México
Martín Vaca Vea, 23, Morelia, México - (Former La Academia Series 3 contestant)
Jairo Wilmont, 25, (Dominican Republic)
Amid Guadalupe Origen, 24, Guadalajara, México
The contestants left out of the semi finals from Venezuela's auditions were:
Maria Elena Rodríguez López, 16, Miranda, Venezuela
Oscar León Oropeza, 18, Caracas, Venezuela
Juliana Douaihy Viso, 21, Valencia, Venezuela
Dervis Pérez Rojas, 20, Carora, Venezuela
Gabriela Puche Parra, 22, Valencia, Venezuela
Daniela Rizquez Ron, 21, Caracas Venezuela
Juan Alejandro Medici Díaz, 26, Falcón, Venezuela
Ariana Velasco Salas, 19, Caracas, Venezuela
Richard Alejandro Núñez Rojas, 26, Caracas, Venezuela
Paola Andrea Murillo Barrios, 20, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Sherezade Valentiner Cuesta, 18, Miranda, Venezuela
Marianella Rojas Mata, 18, Caracas, Venezuela
Atef Habib Pollino, 16, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela
Rossana Cavallina León, 20, Guarico, Venezuela
Josué Eduardo García González, 25, Caracas, Venezuela
Eugenio Keller Puente, 18, Caracas, Venezuela
María Elena Planchart Mendoza, 26, Caracas, Venezuela
Romina Gabriela Luis Rodriguez, 21, Maracay, Venezuela
The contestants left out of the semi finals from Argentina's auditions were:
Rodrigo Tapia González, 21, La Calera, Chile - (Former Rojo Fama Contrafama contestant)
Bárbara Sodor, 18, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Juan Pablo Schapira, 18, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Marcela Von der Walde, 21, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Marianella Giangreco, 20, Salta, Argentina
Sofía Macchi, 16, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Daniela Sciancalepore, 17, Buenos Aires Argentina
Mariana Geraldine Ojeda Tulián, 16, Buenos Aires Argentina
Daniela Valeska Cevallos Bravo, 19, Santiago, Chile - (Former Rojo Fama Contrafama contestant)
Arnaldo Peralta, 20, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Pablo Cúndalo, 22, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Rodrigo Massa Moreira Da Silva, 22, São Paulo, Brazil
Giovanna Salinas Córdova, 26, Lima, Peru
The contestants left out of the semi finals from Colombia's auditions were:
Xihomara Cáceres Ortiz, 21, Bucaramanga, Colombia
Carolina Granda Saona, 19, Quito, Ecuador
Yoser Ruiz Aguilera, 21, Bogotá, Colombia
Luis Fabián Peña Villarreal, 22, Barranquilla, Colombia
Melissa Mejía Flomín, 26, Bogotá, Colombia
Kavir Sánchez Amorocho, 25, Bogotá, Colombia
Yesid Eduardo Uribe Ordóñez, 21, Bucaramanga, Colombia
Paul Tamayo Caviedes, 26, Bogotá, Colombia
Luis Gabriel Cano Valencia, 26, Medellín, Colombia
Mónica Castillo Cabeza, 26, Colombia
José Manrique Mazuera, 18, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Estefanía Varela Madrid, 16, Medellín, Colombia
Sebastián Larrañaga Arboleda, 26, Bogotá, Colombia
Jaime Rojas Buitrago, 22, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Sandra Saa Morales, 22, Bogotá, Colombia
Juan Manuel Medina Valencia, 24, Bogotá, Colombia
Carlos Mario Kandia García, 17, Bogotá, Colombia
The contestants left out of the semi finals from Panamá's auditions were:
José Andaluz Quezada, 22, El Salvador, San Salvador
Shearley Beatriz Hernández Ranero, 23, Guatemala
Robinson Pimentel Penso, 22, Caracas, Venezuela
Brenda Lau Poon, 24, Betania, Panamá (Former VIVE LA MUSICA contestant)
Ibeth Samaniego Vergara, 19, Panamá
