Picture Credit: Netflix
We’re just a couple of months away from getting to return to Virgin River, having missed out on the opportunity in 2025. Already renewed for season 8, we now have some first production dates for the upcoming season, which means we can more accurately predict when season 8 will be hitting our screens.
On our screens since December 2019, Virgin River has become one of Netflix’s longest-running English-language live-action scripted shows ever, with season 8 set to surpass Grace & Frankie and Orange is the New Black, which both bowed out after seven seasons.
The renewal for season 8 came unexpectedly last July, just shortly after season 7 had wrapped filming. Details were limited at the time, and at that point, we didn’t know whether season 7 would be squeezed onto the Netflix calendar for that year. Of course, it didn’t, with Netflix confirming during its Next on Netflix presentation that the series would be coming on March 12th, 2026. That premiere date also came alongside a new photo, although we’re still waiting for a trailer and an official synopsis.
Virgin River S7. (L to R) Alexandra Breckenridge as Melinda Monroe and Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan in Episode #703 of Virgin River S7. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Just over a month after season 7 premieres, season 8 will get into production beginning in late April.
The production start date isn’t a huge surprise, as we covered a Spring date eyed for the season late last year. We learned this from a charity auction that gave bidders the opportunity to visit the set with Benjamin Hollingsworth and Zibby Allen, with proceeds supporting Melanoma Canada. It provided a potential window of filming between April and July 2026, with confirmation that the series will continue filming in Squamish, Vancouver, and Burnaby.
That’s now officially confirmed with official dates now available online. According to the latest production listings, here’s the filming schedule:
- Filming Start: April 22nd, 2026
- Filming Wrap: August 10th, 2026
- Total Filming Days: 110 days (3 months and 19 days)
What does this mean for a release date? Could we see two seasons of Virgin River drop in 2026? With these dates, it’s possible, but we’d still rather put our money on the series returning in Q1 2027 instead.
Patrick S. Smith serves as Showrunner and Executive Producer on the series, joined on the executive team by Thomas Ian Griffith, Mary Page Keller, Roma Roth, Richard Keith, Erin Cardillo, and Jackson Aaron Sinder. Cathryn Humphris holds the role of Co-Executive Producer, while Mona Mira serves as Supervising Producer. The writing team includes Executive Story Editor Ildiko Susany and Staff Writer Rachel Borders.
We’ll no doubt be getting plenty more Virgin River intel in the next month or so, leading up to the release of season 7, so keep your eyes peeled.
