Dancing With the Stars Season 35: Release schedule, cast lineup, and early Mirrorball winner predictions

If you are a fan of dance shows, then you must be excited for Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premiering today, 15 September 2026. Interestingly, the show is doing a special two-night event on ABC and Disney+

The premiere has a different format this time. Male celebrities perform on Night 1, while female celebrities dance on Night 2. Each celebrity will dance to a No. 1 song from the year they were born.

And since this is going to be a tough competition, there will be one elimination each night. The result will depend on scores from the judges and votes from viewers. Both elements will play an equal role in the elimination of contestants.

After Night 2, a new DWTS After Party will debut, hosted by last season’s winner Robert Irwin. The regular show will then continue every Tuesday.

Want complete details? Keep reading!

Dancing With the Stars Season 35 release schedule: Here's how fans will get new episodes

As mentioned earlier, Dancing With the Stars Season 35 will kick off with a special two-night premiere on ABC and live on Disney+, and the same episodes will come out on Hulu the next day for streaming.

Premiere Night One: Scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 8-10 p.m. ET (8:00–10:03 p.m. EDT/PDT). In this, the male contestants get the spotlight as they perform and show their moves on a No. 1 song from the year they were born.

Once all male performances are done, the scores from judges, along with votes from the audience, will be counted. This will decide which male contestant will be eliminated.

Premiere Night Two: This will take place on September 16, 2026, in the same time slot as the first night of Dancing With the Stars Season 35 on ABC and Disney+. This one is for all female contestants, and once the performances are done, one female will have to leave the show as part of the elimination.

The winner of Season 34 will host a live DWTS After Party on September 16 at 10 p.m. on ABC and Disney+ following the two-night event. This will include the eliminated contestants, alumni, behind-the-scenes footage, and more.

New episodes of Dancing With the Stars Season 35 air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+ following premiere week. The format is live, with audience voting combined with judges' scores. Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough host. Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli are judges.

A look at the cast lineup of Dancing With the Stars Season 35

The full Dancing with the Stars Season 35 cast includes 16 celebrities and their professional partners. It was revealed on Good Morning America on September 2, 2026. The cast includes people from different fields, including actors, athletes, reality stars, a chef, a musician, and more.

There are also some notable changes among the professionals. Sharna Burgess is returning after several years away, while Adele Zaikman joins after winning the first Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.

Hailey Bills has moved up from the troupe and will be part of a third same-sex pairing with Sarah Jane Nader. Former champion Witney Carson is also returning for Season 35.

Here's a look at the full pairing in Dancing with the Stars Season 35:

1. Tatyana Ali (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) with Jan Ravnik
2. Tyler Cameron (The Bachelorette) with Sharna Burgess
3. Giada De Laurentiis (celebrity chef) with Alan Bersten
4. Jenna Dewan (The Rookie, Step Up) with Val Chmerkovskiy
5. Ezra Frech (Paralympic track-and-field gold medalist) with Daniella Karagach
6. Amber Glenn (Olympic figure skater) with Pasha Pashkov
7. Taylor Hanson with Britt Stewart
8. Maura Higgins (Love Island UK, The Traitors) with Mark Ballas
9. Conner Leavitt (The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) with Adele Zaikman
10. Ciara Miller (Summer House) with Brandon Armstrong
11. Sarah Jane Nader (Love Thy Nader) with Hailey Bills
12. Jackson Olson (Savannah Bananas baseball player) with Emma Slater
13. Guillermo Rodriguez (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) with Witney Carson
14. Harry Shum Jr. (Grey’s Anatomy) with Jenna Johnson
15. Julia Stiles (Save the Last Dance) with Ezra Sosa
16. Connor Wood (comedian/podcaster) with Rylee Arnold

Early Mirrorball winner predictions for Dancing With the Stars Season 35

It's just the beginning of Dancing With the Stars Season 35, but there are early favorites who are mainly based on dance experience, athletic ability, popularity, professional partners, and fan support. These predictions can change quickly once the celebrities perform and viewers start voting.

Harry Shum Jr., paired with Jenna Johnson, is one of the biggest early favorites. His strong dance background from Glee and his physical ability could give him an advantage.

Amber Glenn is also up there, partnered with Pasha Pashkov. Her Olympic figure skating background gives her great balance and performance skills.

Jenna Dewan is another major contender dancing with Val Chmerkovskiy, who has professional dance training. Other names to watch include Paralympian Ezra Frech, Savannah Bananas star Jackson Olson, and actress Julia Stiles.

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So, who are you rooting for in Dancing With the Stars Season 35? Share in comments!

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