The show’s 34th season was one of the most popular in years.

Dancing With the Stars season 35: Everything we know so far

The show's 34th season was one of the most popular in years.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer, and many other publications.

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on June 23, 2026 3:53 p.m. ET

'DWTS' cohosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. Credit:

Disney/Eric McCandless

- Season 35 of *Dancing With the Stars* will premiere this fall.

- Four competitors have been announced so far, including two reality stars, an athlete, and a late-night regular.

- The rest of the cast will be revealed in September.

Don't stop the music — *Dancing With the Stars* will be back in no time.

Season 35 of ABC's star-studded competition is fast approaching, but first the franchise will experiment with a new spinoff, *Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro*.

*The Next Pro* follows 12 twinkle-toed hopefuls as they live in a house and compete to become one of the new dancers on season 35 of *DWTS*. Season 34 winner Robert Irwin will host the spinoff, which premieres on July 13. Longtime pro Mark Ballas will serve as a judge alongside his mother, Shirley Ballas, whom you may also know as the "Queen of Latin."

But you're here for news about season 35 of *Dancing With the Stars*. Who's competing this season? And when does it premiere? Here's everything we know so far.

Will there be a season 35 of Dancing With the Stars?

Robert Irwin, winner of 'DWTS' in season 34, will host new spinoff 'The Next Pro'.

There certainly will. ABC announced season 35 on April 22, 2026, during Hulu's Get Real event. The announcement saw cohosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough touting the show's successful season 34.

"We celebrated its 20th anniversary while undeniably reclaiming its status in the culture," Ribeiro said, with Hough pointing out that the season 34 finalists — Robert Irwin and Alix Earle — received the most votes in the show's history.

They're not just blowing smoke. Variety reported in November that the season 34 premiere was the show's biggest in five years, with a 49% increase in ratings.

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Who’s competing on Dancing With the Stars season 35?

Maura Higgins in April; Ciara Miller in March.

TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

So far, four contestants have been announced for season 35. The first celebrities announced were reality stars Maura Higgins and Ciara Miller.

Higgins is an Irish reality star and TV host, having rocketed to fame as a *Love Island* finalist before appearing on British reality series such as *Dancing on Ice* and *I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! *She made a splash stateside, however, on season 4 of *The Traitors*. Her name was recently bandied about for *The Bachelorette*, but Higgins herself has shot down those rumors.

Miller also appeared on *The Traitors*, but she's best known as a denizen of Bravo's *Summer House*. Her name has been ubiquitous as of late due to the well-publicized drama regarding her good pal Amanda Batula's secret dalliance with Miller's ex, West Wilson. The scandal isn't all that unlike the Scandoval that rocked *Vanderpump Rules* in 2023. Ariana Madix, who was at the center of that dustup, went on to take third place in season 32 of *DWTS*.

In May, Savannah Bananas second baseman Jackson Olson was announced as a competitor. Olson, one of the Georgia-based team's star players, is also a social media sensation.

Guillermo Rodriguez (left) helping Matt Damon off the stage on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'. Randy Holmes/ABC

The latest dancer to be revealed is Guillermo Rodriguez, a *Jimmy Kimmel Live! *regular who began his career as a parking lot security guard before becoming Kimmel's official sidekick.

"A resident of California and a U.S. citizen since 2005, Guillermo counts watching soccer, eating Mexican food, spending time with family, and being involved with his son’s sports among his favorite things," read an announcement about Rodriguez's casting.

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More cast members, including pros and celebrities, will be announced in September 2026 on *Good Morning America*.

Who’s hosting Dancing With the Stars season 35?

Ribeiro and Hough will return as cohosts for season 35. The pair have been overseeing the competition since season 32 in 2023.

Is there a Dancing With the Stars season 35 release date?

As of this writing, there's no official release date for season 35 of *Dancing With the Stars, *but it's expected to premiere in the fall of 2026.

The last seven seasons have all debuted in mid-September, so it's likely that's when the dance floor will light up again.

- Dancing with the Stars Fandom

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Source: “EW Dancing”