Shark Week 2026 Launches July 26 with New Specials

The annual television event known as Shark Week begins on Sunday, July 26, 2026, on the Discovery Channel, featuring seven nights of new programming dedicated to shark science and adventure. This year's lineup includes more than 20 new specials airing nightly at 8 p.m. ET/PT through Saturday, August 1, exploring a wide range of topics from shark behavior and intelligence to historical mysteries and record-breaking stunts.

The opening night, July 26, sets the tone with three premieres. "KPop Shark Heroes" features actor Ken Jeong and Grammy-nominated artist Rei Ami collaborating with experts to reshape perceptions of sharks in East Asia. This is followed by "Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach," which investigates reports of great white sharks breaching off the California coast. The night concludes with "Invasion of the Mega Sharks," a mission to locate a legendary large great white nicknamed "Big Rose" off Nova Scotia.

Subsequent nights delve into diverse investigations and experiments. Highlights include "House of Sharks," where researchers explore the possibility of rival great white clans competing for territory off New Zealand, and "Biggest Mako on Earth," which seeks to verify...