{"id":399950,"date":"2026-07-15T23:03:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T23:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/399950\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T23:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T23:03:16","slug":"love-island-usa-season-8-fans-pack-la-bars-to-watch-finale-together-whittier-daily-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/399950\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Love Island USA\u2019 Season 8: Fans pack LA bars to watch finale together \u2013 Whittier Daily News"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the past six weeks, fans of \u201cLove Island USA\u201d have spent their evenings watching Peacock\u2019s hit reality TV show, and it all comes down to this: the season 8 finale.<\/p>\n

In Los Angeles, fans of the series gathered in bars throughout Hollywood, Echo Park and more<\/a> to watch as the season 8 winning couple was revealed. Among the finalists are Los Angeles residents Bryce Dettloff and Melanie Moreno. Bryce, who is coupled up with Trinity Tatum, is a DJ who also does handyman work. Melanie, who is coupled up with Sincere Rhea, is a manager at a bikini store.<\/p>\n

For reality TV and soccer fans, this summer has felt like the return of the Barbenheimer summer of 2023, as bars throughout the area have been a mix of \u201cLove Island USA\u201d and the World Cup watch parties each night. Chances are, if you were walking into one of these bars and heard cheering, it would be hard to tell if your favorite team just scored or the couple you were rooting for was safe from being dumped from the Island.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove Island\u201d watch parties have helped take the \u201cguilty pleasure\u201d out of reality TV and remove the stigma that it\u2019s embarrassing to watch dating shows. Instead, not only is the viewing experience on full display, it\u2019s packed with a line out the door.<\/p>\n

\"Fans<\/p>\n

Fans gather to watch the \u201cLove Island USA\u201d season 8 finale at the Palm & the Pine in Hollywood. (Carolyn Burt, SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Smirnoff<\/p>\n

Smirnoff Ice wraps its Villa Nights pop-up series in Los Angeles with season 7 fan-fave Jeremiah Brown. (Photo courtesy of Virisa Yong\/BFA.com)\n<\/p>\n

\"Jeremiah<\/p>\n

Jeremiah Brown and season 8 islander Dylan Wrona chat with fans at Smirnoff Ice Villa Nights pop-up in Los Angeles. (Photo courtesy of Virisa Yong\/BFA.com)\n<\/p>\n

\"Fans<\/p>\n

Fans gather to watch the \u201cLove Island USA\u201d season 8 finale at the Palm & the Pine in Hollywood. (Carolyn Burt, SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Fans<\/p>\n

Fans gather to watch the \u201cLove Island USA\u201d season 8 finale at the Palm & the Pine in Hollywood. (Carolyn Burt, SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 5<\/p>\n

Fans gather to watch the \u201cLove Island USA\u201d season 8 finale at the Palm & the Pine in Hollywood. (Carolyn Burt, SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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Even brands are taking note of local watch parties\u2019 impact and how their reach can go beyond just the people in the room but across the country, thanks to social media. It\u2019s why Smirnoff hosted a Villa Night\u2019s pop-up at one of the most popular Reality Bar locations, the Palm & the Pine sports club in Hollywood, on finale night to promote some tropical Smirnoff Ice beverages with season 7 contestant Jeremiah Brown.<\/p>\n

And for good reason, as Sunday\u2019s \u201cLove Island USA\u201d finale brought in a packed house to watch as the final four couples had their final dates in Fiji before the winning couple was crowned and won $100,000. And as a bonus for fans in attendance, Dylan Wrona, who is coupled up with Kenzie Annis and left the show with her just before the finale, made an appearance at the bar.<\/p>\n

@carolyn.burt<\/a> <\/p>\n

Dylan is living for Kenzie doing the splits in the season 8 recap before tonight\u2019s finale. #loveislandusa<\/a> #loveisland<\/a> #loveislandusaseason8<\/a> #loveislandseason8<\/a> @reality bar <\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 Carolyn Burt \u2013 Journalist<\/a> <\/p>\n

Here are the major moments that happened during the final episode of the season.<\/p>\n

After saying farewell to Kenzie, Dylan, KC and TiTi, the dumped Islanders from the previous episode, the final four celebrate that they\u2019ve made it to the end. The next morning, the Islanders get a text informing them it\u2019s time for their final dates of the season.<\/p>\n

Melanie and Sincere are first. The two take a boat to a bar in the middle of the ocean. After winning a game of rock, paper, scissors, Melanie receives a back massage from Sincere. The two then make pizzas together as they talk about the next steps for their relationship on the outside.<\/p>\n

Kayda and Zach are up next. The two hop on a speed boat for a river tour, which feels more like it\u2019s a detour on \u201cThe Amazing Race\u201d than it does a date on \u201cLove Island USA,\u201d but the two seem to enjoy it. After that, they enjoy lunch by the lake \u2014 or swamp if you\u2019re season 7 Islander Charlie<\/a>, who also happens to be Zach\u2019s older brother, questioning the date location. The two split a sandwich as they discuss what exclusively dating on the outside looks like, with Kayda living in New Hampshire and Zach already splitting his time between the UK and Australia.<\/p>\n

Then it\u2019s Aniya and Carl\u2019s turn, who receive the first of two evening dates. Now, viewers might remember that early on in the season, Aniya shared that she was looking for a fairytale romance. Additionally, fans of Carl and Aniya have been sharing edits online that show similarities between the couple with notable prince and princess<\/a> pairings such as Tiana and Prince Naveen from \u201cThe Princess and the Frog\u201d and Cinderella and Prince Christopher in \u201cRodgers & Hammerstein\u2019s Cinderella.\u201d So it felt full circle when the two found themselves on a picturesque date complete with a book of their love story.<\/p>\n

After the two read their storybook, which is filled with illustrations of their journey on the show, the two talk about how glad they were to get a second chance. Their date ends with a slow dance, complete with crowns to really seal the deal on their fairytale romance.<\/p>\n

The final date of the evening goes to Trinity and Bryce. The two share a dinner where they tell each other they love them for the first time. The sweet moment is then followed by the two watching a local dance group perform.<\/p>\n

\"Melanie<\/p>\n

Melanie Moreno and Sincere Nicholas Rhea go on their final date on \u201cLove Island USA.\u201d (Photo by: Ben Symons\/Peacock)\n<\/p>\n

\"Zacharias<\/p>\n

Zacharias Georgiou and Kayda Reese Bosse go on their final date on \u201cLove Island USA.\u201d (Photo by: Ben Symons\/Peacock)\n<\/p>\n

\"Aniya<\/p>\n

Aniya Harvey and Carl Schmidt have their final date on \u201cLove Island USA.\u201d (Photo by: Ben Symons\/Peacock)\n<\/p>\n

\"Trinity<\/p>\n

Trinity Celeste Tatum and Bryce Alakai Dettloff have their final date on \u201cLove Island USA.\u201d (Photo by: Ben Symons\/Peacock)\n<\/p>\n

\"\u201cLove<\/p>\n

\u201cLove Island USA\u201d finalists Kayda Reese Bosse, Zacharias Georgiou, Trinity Celeste Tatum, Bryce Alakai Dettloff, Melanie Moreno, Sincere Nicholas Rhea, Aniya Harvey and Carl Schmidt. (Photo by: Ben Symons\/Peacock)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

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Melanie Moreno and Sincere Nicholas Rhea go on their final date on \u201cLove Island USA.\u201d (Photo by: Ben Symons\/Peacock)\n<\/p>\n

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The next day is the finale, which from the start feels like prom night. Ahead of the big event, the girls get to sneak away from the Villa to get pampered and get their nails done at the salon as they discuss their connections. Then it\u2019s time for the couples to regroup in their formal attire and take a trip down memory lane of photos in their time in the Villa before cheers-ing with the other couples in the main area.<\/p>\n

The group takes photobooth pics together and dances the night away before getting another round of Movie Night, but this time, a much happier version. The couples get to watch their journeys in the Villa, complete with moments the other Islanders hadn\u2019t seen before, such as what goes down in \u201cSay Less.\u201d The video then cuts to heartfelt moments from the Islanders\u2019 friends and family before some star-studded cameos<\/a> from Lizzo, Demi Lovato, Kehlani and more.<\/p>\n

Then Ariana Madix gives us one last catwalk entrance for the season to reveal the final results of America\u2019s vote. Coming in fourth are Kayda and Zach, who are joined by the third-place couple, Melanie and Sincere. The leaves Aniya and Carl and Trinity and Bryce as the final two.<\/p>\n

Back at the watch party in Los Angeles, everyone is on the edge of their seats, only made all the more dramatic by the cliff-hanger commercial break. Ariana reveals that the winners of Love Island USA 2026 are \u201cTrinity\u2013\u201d and you\u2019d have to use context clues to know the second part of that statement is \u201cand Bryce\u201d because the packed house and the Palm and the Pine have, already broken out in a celebratory applause and cheers so loud that everyone\u2019s Apple Watches are notifying them about the loud noise inside the venue.<\/p>\n

Typically, what comes next is the winning couple, each opening up an envelope, one with $0 and the other with $100,000, to see if whoever picked the prize will share it with their partner as one last twist to see if they truly came there for love. This year, however, Ariana announces that Trinity and Bryce have won the grand prize together as a couple. She also shares that this won\u2019t be the last time the cast sees each other, as they will be filming a reunion special that is set to air on August 31 on Peacock.<\/p>\n

Then it\u2019s time for one last \u201cLove Island USA\u201d tradition: jumping in the pool in their formalwear. The final four rejoice as they take in one last moment together in Fiji, and recreate some of the dance moves from their video intro<\/a> to \u201cSay You Do\u201d that kicked off their journey six weeks ago.<\/p>\n

\"Trinity<\/p>\n

Trinity Celeste Tatum and Bryce Alakai Dettloff are announced as the winners of \u201cLove Island USA\u201d season 8. Aniya Harvey and Carl Schmidt come in second place. (Photo by: Ben Symons\/Peacock)\n<\/p>\n

\"Trinity<\/p>\n

Trinity Celeste Tatum and Bryce Alakai Dettloff are announced as the winners of \u201cLove Island USA\u201d season 8. (Photo by: Ben Symons\/Peacock)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 2<\/p>\n

Trinity Celeste Tatum and Bryce Alakai Dettloff are announced as the winners of \u201cLove Island USA\u201d season 8. Aniya Harvey and Carl Schmidt come in second place. (Photo by: Ben Symons\/Peacock)\n<\/p>\n

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\u201cLove Island USA<\/a>\u201d is available to stream on Peacock<\/a>. The \u201cLove Island USA\u201d season 8 reunion airs on Monday, August 31.<\/p>\n

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