SNL Season 52 Premiere Features Jalen Brunson and KATSEYE

Saturday Night Live will launch its 52nd season on September 26 with a lineup featuring NBA star Jalen Brunson and K-pop group KATSEYE for the premiere episode. NBC announced the initial schedule for the upcoming season, which includes a slate of hosts and musical guests for the first four shows. Jalen Brunson, the MVP of the 2026 NBA Finals and captain of the New York Knicks, will make his hosting debut. He led his team to their first championship in 53 years. KATSEYE, a global girl group formed through a joint venture between HYBE and Universal Music Group's Geffen Records, will also make their debut as musical guests. The group's recent EP, WILD, topped the Billboard 200 chart last month, marking their first number-one album and achieving the largest sales week for an all-female group since December 2014. The schedule continues on October 3 with Dakota Johnson hosting for her third time, accompanied by the hardcore rock band Turnstile making their SNL musical debut. Johnson's appearance coincides with the release of her film Verity.