SNL Season 52 Announces Jalen Brunson and Dakota Johnson Hosts

E Monthly News Staff

“Saturday Night Live” has announced the opening lineup for Season 52, with Jalen Brunson hosting the Sept. 26 premiere alongside K-pop group Katseye. Dakota Johnson, Shane Gillis and Inde Navarrette will host subsequent episodes, joined by musical guests Turnstile, Rosalía and Gracie Abrams through Halloween.

Key Takeaways

Jalen Brunson will host the Season 52 premiere on Sept. 26 with Katseye as musical guest.
Dakota Johnson will host the Oct. 3 episode with Turnstile performing.
Shane Gillis will host Oct. 10 with Rosalía as musical guest.
Inde Navarrette will host the Oct. 31 Halloween episode with Gracie Abrams.
Brunson, Katseye, Turnstile and Navarrette will make their “SNL” debuts.

SNL Season 52 Opens With Jalen Brunson and Katseye

Jalen Brunson will host the Sept. 26 premiere of SNL Season 52, with K-pop group Katseye scheduled as the musical guest. The pairing will give both Brunson and Katseye their first appearances on “Saturday Night Live.”

Brunson recently led the New York Knicks to their first NBA Championship in 53 years, according to the announcement. His selection puts a professional basketball figure in the lead hosting role for the opening episode of the new season.

Katseye will also make its “SNL” debut during the premiere. The group’s appearance places a K-pop act alongside Brunson for the first episode of Season 52, giving the premiere both a sports personality and an international music act.

The Sept. 26 episode establishes the first announced host and musical guest combination for the season. The remaining early schedule moves into film, comedy, rock music and television through October.

Brunson’s hosting appearance is separate from the musical performance slot, which will be filled by Katseye. The announcement therefore identifies two debut appearances for the premiere rather than a returning host or musical guest.

The announcement follows previous episodes featuring Oscar Isaac and Zoe Kravitz as SNL hosts, providing additional context for the show’s use of film and television personalities in its hosting lineup.

Dakota Johnson Returns for the October 3 Episode

Dakota Johnson will host the Oct. 3 episode of “Saturday Night Live,” with hardcore rock band Turnstile serving as the musical guest. Johnson will return to the show for her third hosting appearance.

The episode is scheduled one day after the theatrical release of Johnson’s film “Verity,” which hits theaters Oct. 2. Her appearance therefore coincides directly with the release of the film.

Turnstile will make its “SNL” debut during the Oct. 3 episode. The band is also scheduled to perform as part of its Never Enough Tour Pt. 2, giving the episode a connection to its current live music activities.

The combination of Johnson and Turnstile gives the second announced episode a different lineup from the season premiere. Brunson represents professional basketball, while Johnson arrives with a new film release and Turnstile joins as a rock act.

Johnson’s third hosting appearance also distinguishes her from the first-time hosts announced for the season. Her previous experience on the program gives the Oct. 3 episode a returning host alongside a first-time musical guest.

The timing of the episode places Johnson’s “SNL” appearance immediately after the theatrical opening of “Verity.” The film release is the direct entertainment connection attached to her return to the show.

Shane Gillis and Rosalía Join the October 10 Lineup

Shane Gillis will host “SNL” on Oct. 10 for the third time, with Rosalía serving as musical guest. The episode follows the Dakota Johnson and Turnstile pairing by introducing another returning host and another established music performer.

Gillis recently released Season 3 of his Netflix series “Tires.” He also broke the Guinness World Record for largest stand-up audience during the summer, according to the announcement.

His Season 52 appearance will be his third time hosting “SNL.” The Oct. 10 episode therefore continues the season’s mix of returning hosts and first-time musical guests.

Rosalía will appear on “SNL” for the second time. Her return follows her Lux world tour, which she is scheduled to complete the month before the episode.

The Oct. 10 lineup connects television comedy, stand-up and music. Gillis arrives as both a stand-up comedian and television performer, while Rosalía fills the musical guest position.

The episode also follows a different format from the first two announced shows. Brunson and Katseye will debut together on Sept. 26, while Johnson and Turnstile will appear on Oct. 3 before Gillis and Rosalía take over the Oct. 10 schedule.

Inde Navarrette Leads the Halloween Episode

Inde Navarrette will host the Oct. 31 Halloween episode, with Gracie Abrams returning as musical guest. Navarrette is identified as a breakout star of the horror film “Obsession,” and the Halloween episode will mark her “SNL” debut.

Abrams will make her second appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” She returns after releasing the album “Daughter From Hell” earlier in the year.

The Halloween episode gives Season 52 a distinct pairing of a first-time host and returning musical guest. Navarrette joins the announced hosts after Brunson, Johnson and Gillis, while Abrams follows Katseye, Turnstile and Rosalía among the announced musical performers.

The Oct. 31 date also places Navarrette’s appearance directly within the show’s Halloween schedule. Her connection to “Obsession” provides the entertainment background for her hosting role.

Abrams’ return adds a separate music-release connection to the episode through “Daughter From Hell.” Her previous “SNL” appearance means she is the first returning musical guest identified in the Season 52 lineup.

The four announced hosts cover different entertainment areas. Brunson comes from professional basketball, Johnson from film, Gillis from stand-up comedy and television, and Navarrette from acting. The musical guests span K-pop, hardcore rock and contemporary pop music.

Season 52 Follows Major Cast Changes

The Season 52 host announcement follows several cast changes during the “SNL” offseason. Chloe Fineman, who had been part of the show since 2019, has departed after seven seasons.

Martin Herlihy has also exited the program. Herlihy previously appeared on-screen for four seasons as a member of Please Don’t Destroy and worked in the writers room during Season 51.

The announced Season 52 hosts arrive after a Season 51 lineup that included Will Ferrell, Bad Bunny, Matt Damon and Connor Storrie. Season 51 also featured musical guests including Doja Cat, Sombr, Role Model and Cher.

Several performers handled both hosting and musical guest duties during Season 51. Harry Styles, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo each appeared in both roles.

Season 52 also has an international connection through “Saturday Night Live UK.” The British version announced its second-season premiere for Sept. 12, with Jeff Goldblum as host and CMAT as musical guest. Its second season is scheduled to bring back its full first-season cast and run for 12 episodes.

The American Season 52 schedule announced so far runs from the Sept. 26 premiere through the Oct. 31 Halloween episode. The first four announced hosts are Brunson, Johnson, Gillis and Navarrette, with Katseye, Turnstile, Rosalía and Abrams attached as musical guests.

The lineup includes four debut appearances among the hosts and musical guests: Brunson, Katseye, Turnstile and Navarrette. Johnson, Gillis, Rosalía and Abrams are returning performers, giving the announced episodes a combination of new and familiar faces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is hosting the SNL Season 52 premiere?

Jalen Brunson will host the Season 52 premiere on Sept. 26. Katseye will serve as the musical guest, with both Brunson and the group making their “SNL” debuts.

When does SNL Season 52 begin?

Season 52 begins with its premiere on Sept. 26. Jalen Brunson is scheduled to host the opening episode.

Which musical guests are appearing on SNL Season 52?

The announced musical guests are Katseye, Turnstile, Rosalía and Gracie Abrams. They are scheduled for episodes hosted by Jalen Brunson, Dakota Johnson, Shane Gillis and Inde Navarrette, respectively.