Jalen Brunson and Katseye to host Saturday Night Live season 52 premiere

Season premiere lineup

NBC revealed the opening schedule for the 52nd season of Saturday Night Live, which returns to Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center on September 26, 2026. New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson will make his hosting debut on the season opener, joined by musical guest Katseye. The 30-year-old guard led the Knicks to an NBA championship in June, their first title in 53 years, earning NBA Finals MVP honours in a five-game series against the San Antonio Spurs. Katseye, a pop group with six top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including "Gabriela", will become the first all-female group to serve as musical guest for an SNL season premiere. The group received two Grammy nominations earlier this year for best new artist and best pop duo/group performance.

October schedule and returning hosts

Following the premiere, the comedy series will broadcast three additional episodes in October before and after a mid-month hiatus. Actress Dakota Johnson will host for the third time on October 3 to promote the release of her romantic thriller "Verity", accompanied by Baltimore rock band Turnstile in their show debut. Comedian Shane Gillis will take the stage on October 10 for his third hosting appearance, paired with Spanish singer Rosalía in her second performance on the show. After a two-week broadcast break, the program will return on October 31 for a Halloween broadcast hosted by Inde Navarrette, the breakout lead of the horror-thriller "Obsession". Singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams will accompany Navarrette, marking Abrams's second appearance as musical guest.

Athletic lineage and cast turnover

Brunson's appearance places him among a small group of professional basketball players who have hosted the long-running late-night program. He becomes the fifth NBA player to host SNL, following Bill Russell in 1979, Michael Jordan in 1991, Charles Barkley in 1993, and LeBron James in 2007. Brunson is also the third basketball player to headline a season premiere, after Barkley and James, and the first active player from the New York Knicks to host. Beyond SNL, Brunson is scheduled for an appearance on NBC's "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit", after series star Mariska Hargitay confirmed he will take on a role during the upcoming television season.

Production transitions at Studio 8H

The 52nd season follows a period of staffing adjustments across the writing room and ensemble cast at NBC. Longtime cast member Chloe Fineman announced her departure in July after seven seasons on the series, during which she performed impressions of Drew Barrymore, Melania Trump, and Britney Spears. Writer Martin Herlihy, a member of the comedy trio Please Don't Destroy who appeared periodically in on-screen sketches, also left the production after five seasons. These departures follow earlier roster movements ahead of season 51, when cast members Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim exited the show, alongside the mid-season departure of Bowen Yang. The new season will air in its traditional Saturday timeslot at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time on NBC while streaming simultaneously on Peacock.