Dancing with the Stars 2026 returns for Season 35 with a special two-night premiere. Once again, the hit ABC competition series will be co-hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, with Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough resuming their seats at the judges’ desk as 16 new celebrities get ready to take the ballroom floor for their first live performances.
For the two-night season premiere event, each couple will compete in only one of the two episodes. On Tuesday, the male celebrities will take the ballroom floor performing to a No. 1 song from the year they were born, with one male celebrity eliminated at the end of the night.
On Wednesday, the female celebrities will make their competition debut, performing to a No. 1 song from the year they were born, with one female celebrity eliminated at the end of the night.
🎬 SIGN UP for our Dancing with the Stars newsletter to get access to exclusive news, interviews, songs, recaps & more🎬
Voting for each of those episodes will be open only for the couples who are competing in their respective episode. Live viewer votes from each night will be combined with the judges’ scores each night to determine who is in jeopardy of elimination on their respective night of competition.
Dancing with the Stars 2026 Premiere Week Songs and Dances (Week 1)
The couples (along with their dance styles and songs) are as follows:
- Tatyana Ali with partner Jan Ravnik will perform a Jive to “Knock on Wood” by Amii Stewart
- Tyler Cameron with partner Sharna Burgess will perform a Tango to “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz
- Giada De Laurentiis with partner Alan Bersten will perform a Tango to “Venus” by Shocking Blue
- Jenna Dewan with partner Val Chmerkovskiy will perform a Tango to “Call Me” by Blondie
- Ezra Frech with partner Daniella Karagach will perform a Tango to “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson
- Amber Glenn with partner Pasha Pashkov will perform a Cha Cha to “Smooth” by Santana ft. Rob Thomas
- Taylor Hanson with partner Britt Stewart will perform a Quickstep to “Tell Her About It” by Billy Joel
- Maura Higgins with partner Mark Ballas will perform a Foxtrot to “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles
- Related: R.J. Decker’s Season Premiere Features a Crossover with Dancing with The Stars Pros
- Conner Leavitt with partner Adele Zaikman will perform a Salsa to “Whoomp! There It Is” by Tag Team
- Ciara Miller with partner Brandon Armstrong will perform a Foxtrot to “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” by Whitney Houston
- Sarah Jane Nader with partner Hailey Bills will perform a Jive to “Sk8er Boi” by Avril Lavigne
- Jackson Olson with partner Emma Slater will perform a Cha Cha to “Wannabe” by Spice Girls
- Guillermo Rodriguez with partner Witney Carson will perform a Cha Cha to “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight
- Harry Shum Jr. with partner Jenna Johnson will perform a Cha Cha to “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire
- Julia Stiles with partner Ezra Sosa will perform a Quickstep to “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton
- Connor Wood with partner Rylee Arnold will perform a Cha Cha to “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw
Season 35 of DWTS premieres Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and continues Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and is simulcast LIVE across both ABC and Disney+. Streams next day on Hulu.
Next, Dancing with the Stars Season 35 Cast Revealed: Giada De Laurentiis, Jenna Dewan and Julia Stiles to Compete