Dancing with the Stars returns Tuesday, September 29, 2026 for Week 3 of Season 35, with 13 couples left fighting for the Mirrorball Trophy. 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 3:
- Theme: Yacht Rock Night
- Air Date: Tuesday, September 29, 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.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Week 3 Preview
Heading into Week 3, 13 couples remain and the ballroom is setting sail for Yacht Rock Night. The celebrities and their professional partners will perform to smooth grooves, soft-rock classics and other hits associated with the yacht rock era.
Here’s the full Week 3 lineup of songs and dances:
| Couple | Dance | Song |
| Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov | Foxtrot | “Hold the Line,” Toto |
| Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong | Cha-cha | “Never Too Much,” Luther Vandross |
| Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold | Foxtrot | “Everywhere,” Fleetwood Mac |
| Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach | Foxtrot | “Just the Two of Us,” Grover Washington Jr. featuring Bill Withers |
| Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson | Foxtrot | “Escape (The Piña Colada Song),” Rupert Holmes |
| Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson | Jive | “You Make My Dreams (Come True),” Daryl Hall & John Oates |
| Jackson Olson and Emma Slater | Paso doble | “Easy Lover,” Philip Bailey & Phil Collins |
| Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy | Samba | “Africa,” Toto |
| Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa | Salsa | “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do),” Daryl Hall & John Oates |
| Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas | Quickstep | “Turn Your Love Around,” George Benson |
| Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik | Quickstep | “Maneater,” Daryl Hall & John Oates |
| Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart | Foxtrot | “What a Fool Believes,” The Doobie Brothers |
| Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess | Jive | “Still the One,” Orleans |
The episode will also feature performances from the pros and troupe set to “This Is It” by Kenny Loggins, “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain & Tennille and “Baby Come Back” by Player.
What Happened on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Last Week?
Week 2 brought Viral Hits Night, with the 14 remaining couples performing routines inspired by songs and moments that have taken off on TikTok or elsewhere online.
Week 2 Dances and Scores
Scoring remained on the standard 30-point scale, with Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each awarding up to 10 points.
| Couple | Dance | Song | Score |
| Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov | Tango | “All the Things She Said,” Harrison | 21 |
| Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach | Cha-cha | “Low,” Flo Rida | 21 |
| Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy | Jive | “Animal,” KATSEYE | 21 |
| Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas | Cha-cha | “September,” Earth, Wind & Fire | 20 |
| Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong | Tango | “No Broke Boys,” Disco Lines and Tinashe | 18 |
| Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson | Viennese waltz | “Iris,” Goo Goo Dolls | 18 |
| Jackson Olson and Emma Slater | Foxtrot | “That’s So True,” Gracie Abrams | 18 |
| Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik | Foxtrot | “What Was I Made For?,” Billie Eilish | 18 |
| Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa | Tango | “The Door,” Teddy Swims | 16 |
| Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess | Salsa | “Girls,” The Kid LAROI | 16 |
| Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold | Tango | “12 to 12,” Sombr | 15 |
| Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart | Cha-cha | “Cake by the Ocean,” DNCE | 15 |
| Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten | Salsa | “Bella Ciao,” Becky G | 12 |
| Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson | Paso doble | “Where Have You Been,” Rihanna | 12 |
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, and Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy finished in a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard with 21 points each.
Elimination
Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten were eliminated at the end of Viral Hits Night after receiving the lowest combined judges’ scores and viewer votes.
De Laurentiis and Bersten scored 12 points for their salsa, tying Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson for the lowest judges’ score of the night. Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess, De Laurentiis and Bersten and Rodriguez and Carson were the final three couples left on the ballroom floor before De Laurentiis and Bersten were announced as the eliminated pair.
‘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 | Eliminated (Week 2, 14th) |
| 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 | Aired |
| Week 3 | Yacht Rock Night | September 29, 2026 | Upcoming |
| 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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