Saturday Night Live is lining up a star-studded start to its 52nd season, with an NBA champion, two popular actresses and a comedian among the first hosts announced for the new season.
New York Knicks captain Jalen Brunson will get the season underway when he makes his SNL hosting debut Sept. 26. KATSEYE is scheduled to perform as the musical guest.
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Brunson enters Studio 8H after the biggest accomplishment of his basketball career.
The Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years in the 2026 NBA Finals, with Brunson earning MVP honors. His appearance gives SNL another high-profile athlete to add to its long history of turning sports stars into comedy hosts.
Dakota Johnson will take over the following week, returning to the NBC series for her third hosting appearance on Oct. 3.
The timing coincides with the release of her new movie, Verity, which arrives in theaters Oct. 2. Turnstile will make its first appearance as the episode’s musical guest.
The third announced host is Shane Gillis, who will be back for his own third stint on Oct. 10. Gillis has become a recurring presence on the show since his controversial 2019 firing before his scheduled debut as a cast member. He eventually returned as host in 2023 and again in 2025.
His upcoming appearance follows the continued success of his Netflix comedy series Tires, which was recently renewed for a fourth season. Rosalía will serve as musical guest, marking her second time performing on SNL.
After a two-week hiatus, the series will return Oct. 31 for its Halloween episode with Inde Navarrette making her hosting debut. Navarrette, known for the critically-acclaimed horror film Obsession, is also attached to the upcoming X-Men movie and The Waffle House Index. Gracie Abrams will return as musical guest.
The new season comes amid significant changes behind the scenes. Chloe Fineman is leaving after seven seasons, while Bowen Yang departed midway through Season 51. Martin Herlihy of Please Don’t Destroy is also exiting after remaining with the show as a writer and digital short contributor last season.
NBC has yet to announce the complete Season 52 cast. SNL returns Sept. 26 at 11:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m. CT.
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