It was a long time coming but the brand new Strictly Come Dancing premiered on TV screens last weekend. It was a rebirth for the series, with new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdecombe, and Johannes Radebe all taking over the mantle from veterans Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman to guide the series into a new era. And they had a host of new celebrities to help them do that.
Strictly is officially set to kick off its live shows, with new partnerships, new routines, and new memorable moments to add to its long line up of legendary ones. And, needless to say, fans are ready for the glitz, glamour, and gladrags associated with the BBC One hit once again as we all look towards the fall with a touch of sparkle.
If you're ready for that, here's when you can expect the Week 1 live show, and what to expect from it.
Strictly Week 1 start time (and how long the first live show is tonight)
Strictly Come Dancing Week 1 will air on BBC One tonight, Saturday September 26, at 6:15 pm BST, while also being available to stream on BBC iPlayer live from that time too. That is a lot earlier than last week's launch show, which is udnerstandable because it has 15 couples ' dance performances to run through.
Taking that into account, the episode will end at 8:45 pm BST, meaning that it has a runtime of 2 hours and 30 mins. Which, again, makes sense as we have 15 couples to meet, watch perform their Ballroom and Latin routines, and subsequently gets scores and comments from the judges. The first two weeks are always the longest episodes of the whole series for that reason.
Strictly Week 1 dances and songs promise a vibrant start to the show
With the launch of Strictly 2026, it's now time for the live shows to commence. Yes, that means that there will be plenty of memorable dance routines to kick off the show - including three Sambas, which is just outrageous considering how difficult that dance is. And yet, as the producers likely know, it will make for very interesting television.
Over the years, there have been some very memorable Week 1 routines that go on to define the rest of the series. Remember Maisie and Gorka's energetic Samba, Amber and Nikita's stunning last-minute Waltz, Kelvin and Oti's Samba, Layton and Nikita's Samba, Karen and Carlos' Jive, and HRVY and Janette's Jive? Will any of tonight's performances find themselves in that elite class?
With that in mind, let's dive into exactly what you can expect from tonight's line-up, as revealed by the BBC:
- Bethany and Nancy - Quickstep to Stop This Flame by Celeste
- Dani and Nikita - Samba to Lush Life by Zara Larsson
- Delta and Kai - Samba to Baianá by Barbatuques
- Jaime and Carlos - Tango to I Feel Love by Donna Summer
- Lacey and Vito - Cha Cha to How Will I Know by Whitney Houston
- Melanie and Aljaž - Cha Cha to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee
- Dame Sarah and Julian - Quickstep to C’est Magnifique by Kay Starr
- Tabby and Mark - Jive to Animal by KATSEYE
- Cach and Maddie - Quickstep to I Just Might by Bruno Mars
- Chris and Amy - Tango to No Roots by Alice Merton
- Graeme and Lauren - Cha Cha to Hound Dog (Smokey Joe's Café version)
- John and Katya - Foxtrot to Ordinary by Alex Warren
- Lawrence and Jowita - Paso Doble to Aperture by Harry Styles
- Shaun and Alexis - Cha Cha to Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russell
- Will and Dianne - Samba to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams
Oh yes, we are certainly in for a memorable evening! Sit back, relax, put on those dances shoes, and keep dancing!
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