The dancing with stars 2026 cast has officially been revealed, with 16 celebrities set to compete in Season 35 for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. The lineup includes Jenna Dewan, Julia Stiles, Harry Shum Jr., Tatyana Ali, Giada De Laurentiis, Tyler Cameron, Amber Glenn, Ezra Frech and previously announced stars including Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller, Jackson Olson and Guillermo Rodriguez. Season 35 begins with a two-night premiere on September 15 and 16, 2026, on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming the following day on Hulu.

Introduction

The dancing with stars 2026 cast is officially set, and Season 35 is bringing a mix of Hollywood actors, athletes, musicians, reality stars, social-media personalities and television favorites into the ballroom.

ABC announced the full cast on September 2, 2026, during Good Morning America. Sixteen celebrities will compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, with each paired with a professional dancer.

Among the biggest names joining the new season are actress and former professional dancer Jenna Dewan, Save the Last Dance star Julia Stiles, Glee and Step Up actor Harry Shum Jr., The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum Tatyana Ali, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis and Bachelor Nation personality Tyler Cameron.

The cast also includes Olympic figure skating champion Amber Glenn, Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech and musician Taylor Hanson.

The season follows a particularly successful Season 34 and will begin with a special two-night premiere on September 15 and 16.

What Happened?

ABC had already revealed four celebrities ahead of the full announcement: Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller, Jackson Olson and Guillermo Rodriguez.

The remaining 12 contestants were announced Wednesday, completing the 16-person Season 35 lineup. The cast was revealed alongside each celebrity's professional dance partner.

The announcement gives the upcoming season a particularly broad range of backgrounds.

Some contestants arrive with significant dance experience. Dewan, for example, previously worked as a professional dancer and was a backup dancer for Janet Jackson before becoming widely known as the star of Step Up. Harry Shum Jr. also has an extensive dance background.

Others are approaching ballroom dancing from completely different fields.

De Laurentiis comes from television and the culinary world, while Frech and Glenn bring elite athletic experience from track and field and figure skating.

That contrast is one of the central attractions of the format: contestants are not simply competing based on their previous careers, but on how quickly they can adapt to ballroom technique, choreography and live performance.

Key Details: Full Dancing With the Stars 2026 Cast

Here is the complete Season 35 lineup announced by ABC:

Celebrity	Known for	Professional partner
Jenna Dewan	The Rookie, Step Up	Val Chmerkovskiy
Julia Stiles	10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance, Bourne films	Ezra Sosa
Harry Shum Jr.	Glee, Shadowhunters, Step Up films	Jenna Johnson
Tatyana Ali	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air	Jan Ravnik
Giada De Laurentiis	Celebrity chef and television personality	Alan Bersten
Tyler Cameron	Bachelor Nation	Sharna Burgess
Taylor Hanson	Hanson musician	Britt Stewart
Connor Wood	Comedian, podcaster and social-media personality	Rylee Arnold
Ezra Frech	Paralympic track-and-field champion	Daniella Karagach
Amber Glenn	Olympic figure skating champion	Pasha Pashkov
Conner Leavitt	The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives	Adele Zaikman
Sarah Jane Nader	Love Thy Nader	Hailey Bills
Ciara Miller	Summer House, The Traitors	Brandon Armstrong
Maura Higgins	Love Island UK, The Traitors	Mark Ballas
Guillermo Rodriguez	Jimmy Kimmel Live!	Witney Carson
Jackson Olson	Savannah Bananas baseball player and entertainer	Emma Slater

ABC confirmed all 16 contestants and their professional pairings in its official announcement.

The Biggest Names to Watch

Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy

Dewan may enter the competition with one of the most obvious dance-related résumés.

She began as a professional dancer and later became famous for Step Up. That background has already prompted discussion about whether she will have an advantage over contestants without formal dance experience.

Dewan herself has acknowledged the distinction between her previous work and ballroom dancing. She told Good Morning America that ballroom represents a different challenge and suggested that fans can expect some connection to her Step Up history.

The timing is also notable: 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of Step Up.

Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa

Stiles is another major film name entering the ballroom.

The actress is particularly associated with 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance and the Bourne franchise. She has also said that competing on Dancing with the Stars had been a long-standing ambition.

Stiles described herself as a longtime fan of the show during the cast announcement and said participating had been a “secret dream.”

Her pairing with Ezra Sosa gives the season another interesting combination of acting experience and professional ballroom expertise.

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson

Shum is another contestant with a substantial dance background.

Best known for roles including Glee and Shadowhunters, he also appeared in the Step Up film franchise and previously worked as a dancer.

During the Good Morning America announcement, Shum demonstrated some of his dancing, prompting an enthusiastic reaction from judge Bruno Tonioli.

His challenge will be translating that experience into the specific styles and scoring system used on Dancing with the Stars.

Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten

Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis represents one of the season's biggest departures from the traditional entertainment world.

She told PEOPLE that her daughter Jade encouraged her to accept the opportunity. De Laurentiis has also acknowledged that rehearsals have been considerably more physically demanding than she expected.

She will compete with professional dancer Alan Bersten.

Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov

The athletic contingent is especially strong this season.

Amber Glenn enters the ballroom as an Olympic gold medalist in figure skating. She is paired with Pasha Pashkov.

Glenn has said she was initially intimidated by the level of professional dancing but is excited to take on a different form of performance.

Paralympic track-and-field champion Ezra Frech will also compete, partnering with Daniella Karagach.

Background: What Makes Season 35 Different?

Season 35 arrives after a record-setting previous season.

PEOPLE reported that the Season 34 finale attracted 9.24 million total viewers, making it the show's biggest finale audience in nine years. ABC also said Season 34 produced its strongest finale performance in a decade.

The new cast also includes several connections to previous contestants.

Conner Leavitt is married to Whitney Leavitt, who competed during Season 34. Sarah Jane Nader is the sister of Brooks Nader, who competed in Season 33.

The season will also feature a notable same-sex celebrity-professional pairing, with Sarah Jane Nader partnered with Hailey Bills. It is the show's third such celebrity/pro pairing.

Returning Hosts and Judges

The familiar faces behind the ballroom will remain in place.

Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are returning as co-hosts.

The judging panel will again feature Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough.

The professional lineup also includes several familiar names, along with newer faces such as Adele Zaikman and Hailey Bills.

One of the most notable professional stories involves Witney Carson. The returning pro, who won Season 34 with Robert Irwin, is competing during her second trimester of pregnancy. PEOPLE reported that this makes her the first professional on the show to compete that far along in a pregnancy.

Sharna Burgess is also returning to the ballroom after several seasons away. Her Season 35 appearance marks her first competition season since Season 30 in 2021.

What Officials / Organizations Said

ABC's official announcement described the Season 35 lineup as an all-new celebrity cast and confirmed the September 15-16 two-night premiere.

The network said the series will air live on ABC and Disney+, with episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu.

ABC has also announced additional programming surrounding the season.

Andy Richter will host the official Dancing with the Stars podcast, which is scheduled to debut September 10 on Disney+ and Hulu. Robert Irwin, who won Season 34, will host the first DWTS After Party live on September 16 following the second premiere episode.

The additions give viewers more ways to follow the competition beyond the main ballroom episodes.

Why This Matters

The 2026 cast is significant because it combines several different types of recognizable personalities rather than relying on a single celebrity category.

Film fans have Dewan, Stiles and Shum. Reality television viewers get Cameron, Higgins, Miller, Leavitt and Nader. Sports fans have Glenn and Frech. Music fans have Hanson, while food television brings De Laurentiis into the competition.

That variety gives the season several potential storylines before the first scores are even announced.

There is also an interesting question around previous dance experience.

Dewan and Shum have professional dance backgrounds, while Glenn and Frech have elite competitive experience in other sports. The remaining contestants largely come from entertainment, reality television, social media and other fields.

But ballroom experience is its own discipline. Previous performance skills may help with confidence, rhythm or stage presence, but contestants still have to master the specific techniques judges expect.

What Happens Next?

The next major event is the Season 35 premiere.

The first episode airs Tuesday, September 15, 2026, followed by a second premiere episode Wednesday, September 16. Both episodes begin at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC and Disney+. The episodes will stream the next day on Hulu.

The competition will then move into its regular schedule, with the celebrities and professional dancers performing for judges and viewers.

The biggest unanswered question is not the cast but the competitive hierarchy: which celebrities will quickly emerge as frontrunners, and which contestants will struggle once the choreography becomes more demanding?

That will only become clear once the ballroom performances begin.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is in the Dancing With the Stars 2026 cast?

The Season 35 cast has 16 celebrities: Jenna Dewan, Julia Stiles, Harry Shum Jr., Tatyana Ali, Giada De Laurentiis, Tyler Cameron, Taylor Hanson, Connor Wood, Ezra Frech, Amber Glenn, Conner Leavitt, Sarah Jane Nader, Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, Guillermo Rodriguez and Jackson Olson.

2. When does Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premiere?

Season 35 premieres over two nights, Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC and Disney+.

3. Who is Jenna Dewan's professional partner?

Jenna Dewan is partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy.

4. Who is Julia Stiles dancing with?

Julia Stiles is paired with professional dancer Ezra Sosa.

5. Is Harry Shum Jr. competing on Dancing With the Stars?

Yes. Harry Shum Jr. is part of the Season 35 cast and will compete with professional dancer Jenna Johnson.

6. Which athletes are competing on DWTS in 2026?

The 2026 cast includes Olympic figure skating champion Amber Glenn and Paralympic track-and-field gold medalist Ezra Frech. Glenn is paired with Pasha Pashkov, while Frech is paired with Daniella Karagach.

7. Who are the Dancing With the Stars 2026 hosts?

Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are returning as co-hosts for Season 35.

8. Who are the judges for Dancing With the Stars Season 35?

Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough are returning to the judging panel.

Sources / Content Source

This article was independently researched and synthesized from the following sources:

• ABC official press release, September 2, 2026 — official Season 35 cast, professional pairings, premiere dates and related programming.
• Good Morning America / ABC News, September 2, 2026 — full cast announcement and contestant details.
• PEOPLE, September 2, 2026 — cast biographies, pairings, returning hosts/judges and Season 35 details.
• Associated Press, September 2, 2026 — independent confirmation of the 16-person Season 35 lineup and premiere information.
• Variety, September 2, 2026 — additional reporting on the Season 35 cast and casting reaction.

Accuracy note: The cast and professional pairings in this article reflect the official ABC announcement issued September 2, 2026. The article does not treat fan reactions, predictions about winners or speculation about future eliminations as confirmed facts.