Filling our Sunday evenings with glitz and glamour from January, the RTÉ series will see 12 well-known figures team up with a professional dancer to perform a live routine every week. Each pairing will have a different dancing genre to master every week, from the Charleston to Salsa, and they'll have just seven days to perfect their routine before performing live to the nation.
Contestants this season include Eurovision legend Niamh Kavanagh and The Traitors Ireland star Paudie Moloney, among others.
Three new pro dancers have also started this season: Arianna Favaro, Leonardo Lini and James Cutle join Laura Nolan, Ervinas Merfeldas, Robert Rowiński, Stephen Vincent, Maciej Zięba, Alex Vladimirov, Rebecca Scott and Daniela Roze. Kylee Vincent returns following the birth of her first child last year.
Dancing with the Stars is hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli and Laura Fox, who is standing in for Doireann Garrihy while she is on leave.
Each celebrity couple will be scored by an expert panel of four judges: new Head Judge Oti Mabuse, Brian Redmond, Arthur Gourounlian and Karen Byrne, and as well as the viewing public at home, with the winning couple claiming the much-coveted glitterball trophy at the end of the series.
Social reporter James Patrice is back for the new season with his access-all-areas backstage pass to bring fans all the latest news and updates from the training room and the dancefloor on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.
The new season of Dancing with the Stars kicks off on Sunday 4 January 2026 at 6:30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
