Dancing with the Stars returns Tuesday, September 22, 2026 for Week 2 of Season 35, with 14 couples left after a double elimination in the premiere. Here’s everything you need to know before tuning in, including when the episode premieres, where to watch, what happened last week and a preview of what’s ahead.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Week 2:
- Theme: Viral Hits Night
- Air Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Hosts: Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough
- Judges: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli
- Network: ABC
- Streaming Service: Disney+
What is ‘Dancing with the Stars’ About?
Dancing with the Stars pairs a celebrity with a professional ballroom dancer and gives them one week to build a routine for live television. Three judges score the dance, and the audience votes on their favorite. The two different scores are combined, and the couple with the lowest score goes home. By the finale, only the top pairings remain, with the winning couple taking home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
Season 35 brought sixteen new couples into the ballroom, one of the largest cast in the show’s history. Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough return as hosts and Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli return to the judges’ table.
How to Watch ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Dancing with the Stars airs live Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streams simultaneously on Disney+. Episodes become available to watch on Hulu the following day.
You can watch ABC and stream Disney+ through DIRECTV, making it easy to catch every live show and vote along all season!
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Week 2 Preview
Heading into Week 2, 14 couples remain and the theme is Viral Hits Night, built around the songs and sounds that have taken off on TikTok and elsewhere online.
Here’s the full Week 2 lineup of songs and dances:
| Couple | Dance | Song |
| Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov | Tango | “All the Things She Said”, t.A.T.u. |
| Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong | Tango | “No Broke Boys”, Disco Lines and Tinashe |
| Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold | Tango | “12 to 12”, Sombr |
| Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach | Cha-cha | “Low”, Flo Rida |
| Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten | Salsa | “CHULA”, Becky G |
| Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson | Paso doble | TBA, Rihanna |
| Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson | Viennese waltz | “Iris”, Goo Goo Dolls |
| Jackson Olson and Emma Slater | Foxtrot | “That’s So True”, Gracie Abrams |
| Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy | Jive | “Animal”, KATSEYE |
| Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa | Tango | “The Door”, Teddy Swims |
| Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas | Cha-cha | “September”, Earth, Wind & Fire |
| Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik | Foxtrot | “What Was I Made For?”, Billie Eilish |
| Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart | Cha-cha | “Cake by the Ocean”, DNCE |
| Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess | Salsa | “Girls”, The Kid LAROI |
What Happened on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Last Week?
Need a refresher? Here’s what happened across the two nights of Week 1 of Dancing with the Stars.
Night One Dances and Scores
Scoring was on the standard 30-point scale with no guest judge. The eight male celebrities, in leaderboard order:
| Couple | Dance | Song | Score |
| Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson | Cha-cha | “Let’s Groove,” Earth, Wind & Fire | 21 |
| Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach | Tango | “Since U Been Gone,” Kelly Clarkson | 20 |
| Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess | Tango | “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” Lenny Kravitz | 17 |
| Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold | Cha-cha | “I Like It, I Love It,” Tim McGraw | 16 |
| Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart | Quickstep | “Tell Her About It,” Billy Joel | 16 |
| Jackson Olson and Emma Slater | Cha-cha | “Wannabe,” Spice Girls | 15 |
| Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman | Salsa | “Whoomp! There It Is,” Tag Team | 12 |
| Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson | Cha-cha | “Mr. Big Stuff,” Jean Knight | 10 |
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson earned the highest score among the male celebrities with 21 points for their cha-cha, while Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson received the lowest with 10 points.
Night Two Dances and Scores
The eight female celebrities followed on Wednesday, again out of 30:
| Couple | Dance | Song | Score |
| Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas | Foxtrot | “Black Velvet,” Alannah Myles | 21 |
| Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy | Tango | “Call Me,” Blondie | 19 |
| Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov | Cha-cha | “Smooth,” Santana featuring Rob Thomas | 18 |
| Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa | Quickstep | “9 to 5,” Dolly Parton | 18 |
| Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten | Tango | “Venus,” Shocking Blue | 16 |
| Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong | Foxtrot | “Exhale (Shoop Shoop),” Whitney Houston | 15 |
| Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills | Jive | “Sk8er Boi,” Avril Lavigne | 14 |
| Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik | Jive | “Knock on Wood,” Amii Stewart | 12 |
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas topped the female celebrities with 21 points for their foxtrot, tying with Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, while Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik had the lowest score at 12 points.
Eliminations
Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman went home at the end of night one with the lowest combined judges’ scores and votes. Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills followed at the end of night two.
Both eliminations sent home a first-time professional in their first week on the show, which drew a notable amount of complaints online. Neither celebrity finished last on the judges’ board on their night: Guillermo Rodriguez scored lower than Leavitt, and Tatyana Ali scored below Nader, so the fan votes decided their fates in each case.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 35 Competitor Tracker
| Celebrity | Known For | Professional Partner | Status |
| Amber Glenn | Olympic gold medalist figure skater | Pasha Pashkov | Active |
| Ciara Miller | Summer House | Brandon Armstrong | Active |
| Conner Leavitt | The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives | Adele Zaikman | Eliminated (Week 1, 16th) |
| Connor Wood | Comedian and podcast host | Rylee Arnold | Active |
| Ezra Frech | Paralympic gold medalist | Daniella Karagach | Active |
| Giada De Laurentiis | Chef and Food Network host | Alan Bersten | Active |
| Guillermo Rodriguez | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Witney Carson | Active |
| Harry Shum Jr. | Glee actor and dancer | Jenna Johnson | Active |
| Jackson Olson | Savannah Bananas second baseman | Emma Slater | Active |
| Jenna Dewan | Step Up and The Rookie star | Val Chmerkovskiy | Active |
| Julia Stiles | Film and television actress | Ezra Sosa | Active |
| Maura Higgins | Love Island UK and The Traitors | Mark Ballas | Active |
| Sarah Jane Nader | Love Thy Nader | Hailey Bills | Eliminated (Week 1, 15th) |
| Tatyana Ali | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress | Jan Ravnik | Active |
| Taylor Hanson | Hanson singer | Britt Stewart | Active |
| Tyler Cameron | The Bachelorette alum | Sharna Burgess | Active |
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 35 Schedule
Follow the season with the schedule below:
| Week | Theme | Air Date | Status |
| Week 1 | Premiere Night (two nights) | September 15 and 16, 2026 | Aired |
| Week 2 | Viral Hits Night | September 22, 2026 | Upcoming |
| Week 3 | Yacht Rock Night | September 29, 2026 | Scheduled |
| Week 4 | Mariah Carey Night | October 6, 2026 | Scheduled |
| Week 5 | TBA | October 13, 2026 | Scheduled |
| Week 6 | Dedication Night | October 20, 2026 | Scheduled |
| Week 7 | Horror Movie Night | October 27, 2026 | Scheduled |
| Week 8 | Disney Night | November 3, 2026 | Scheduled |
| Week 9 | Grammy Night | November 10, 2026 | Scheduled |
New episodes air live every Tuesday. This schedule will be updated as additional themes and air dates are announced.
Watch ‘Dancing with the Stars’ on DIRECTV
Never miss an elimination! Watch new episodes of Dancing with the Stars every week on ABC and stream them on Disney+ through DIRECTV, and follow Season 35 all the way to the Mirrorball.
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Frequently asked questions
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