Dancing With the Stars season 34 returns this September with Robert Irwin, Alix Earle and more stars as ABC celebrates 20 years of the hit reality competition.
ABC is turning up the spotlight this fall as Dancing with the Stars returns for Season 34 — and for its milestone 20th anniversary. The long-running reality competition has been waltzing across TV screens since 2005, and even after more than three decades of competition, the series is proving to be more popular than ever.
The new season officially kicks off Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, airing live in its traditional two-hour block from 8–10 p.m. Episodes will also be available to stream on Disney+ and on Hulu the following day. Based on the show’s usual schedule, the Season 34 finale is expected to land just before or after Thanksgiving.
This year’s cast promises viral moments and unforgettable performances, with the first celebrity contestants already revealed:
Robert Irwin — The wildlife conservationist is stepping onto the ballroom floor a full decade after his sister Bindi Irwin won the Mirrorball Trophy.
Alix Earle — TikTok’s breakout star is bringing her massive social media following and fresh energy to the competition.
Jen Affleck — Known for her candid personality on Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Affleck is trading reality TV drama for sequins and quicksteps.
Whitney Leavitt — Also from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Leavitt will compete alongside Affleck, making this season even more intriguing for fans of the Bravo-style hit.
More celebrities will be announced closer to the premiere, along with the roster of professional dancers and the season’s official pairings.
On the hosting side, familiar faces return. Alfonso Ribeiro will continue to lead the show after first joining as co-host in Season 31, alongside Julianne Hough, who stepped into a co-hosting role after years as both a pro dancer and judge. The chemistry between the two is expected to remain a highlight for fans.
As for the judges, no shake-ups have been announced. Fans can expect Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough to return to the panel. Tonioli and Inaba have been part of the series since its very beginning, while Hough — a six-time champion — joined the panel in Season 29.
Executive producer Valerie Bruce of BBC Studios Los Angeles has called the show’s simulcast on ABC and Disney+ a milestone moment, describing DWTS as a “pop-culture powerhouse” that continues to evolve. That evolution may include surprises — hosts Ribeiro and Hough recently teased that Season 34 will introduce something the show has never done before. Fans are already speculating that hip-hop could be added as a new official dance style.
While it remains to be seen whether Dancing with the Stars will return for Season 35 in 2026, one thing is clear: this fall, the ballroom is set to shine brighter than ever as Season 34 delivers an anniversary celebration worthy of two decades of glitz, glitter, and Mirrorball dreams.
