All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

On Saturday (Sept. 26), Saturday Night Live returns with the premiere episode of season 52. The sketch comedy show taps New York Knicks superstar and NBA Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson to host, while pop girl group KATSEYE serves as musical guest.

Brunson and KATSEYE are both making their SNL debuts. However, only four of the six members of KATSEYE — Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae Jeung — are expected to perform during the show.

How to Watch ‘Saturday Night Live’ Live Online, at a Glance:

When Does ‘Saturday Night Live’ Start?

SNL premieres on Saturday (Sept. 26), with a start time of 11:30 p.m. ET/PT.

What TV Network Features ‘Saturday Night Live’?

In 2026, SNL broadcasts on TV on NBC. Meanwhile, the variety sketch show is available to livestream on Peacock.

Who’s Appearing on ‘Saturday Night Live’ Tonight?

SNL is known for celebrity cameos during the show, so it’s likely there may be a number of famous actors, actresses and recording artists in attendance. Since Jalen Brunson is hosting, it’s expected that other players from the New York Knicks would also appear, like Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jose Alvarado and more.

Other artists who have been known to appear at SNL in the past, include Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Alec Baldwin, Mariska Hargitay, Meryl Streep, Harry Styles and others.

Where to Watch ‘Saturday Night Live’ Online for Free

For cord-cutters, there are a few ways to watch SNL online, if you don’t have cable, especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV has a five-day free trial, while other streaming services, like Fubo and Hulu + Live TV, also offer free trials, so you can watch for free.

A subscription to DirecTV gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, including NBC, at $59.99 per month for the first three months of service ($89.99 per month afterward). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.

Sling TV offers the Blue plan, which comes with NBC. With more than 40 channels, the streaming plan goes for $54.99 per month. All plans come with a free cloud DVR and an extra 600 or so free channels too. Please note: Pricing and channel availability vary from market-to-market.

Fubo starts at $63.99 for the first month ($88.99 per month afterward) with more than 230 channels, including local and cable, like NBC, that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a five-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now.

Broadcast and cable networks NBC is available to watch with Hulu + Live TV. Prices for the cable alternative start at $89.99 per month for more than 100 live channels, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited at no additional cost. Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one package.

There are two different plans offered on Peacock: The Premium Plan for $12.99 per month or the Premium Plus Plan for $19.99 per month. If you’re looking to save, you can get 17% off when you do the annual plan for $129.99 per year or $199.99 per year, respectively. With the Premium Plan, it’s ad-supported and you’ll receive access to a wide range of movies, TV shows, originals, live sports from NBC Sports and live news from NBC News.

Peacock’s Premium Plus plan comes with everything in the Premium plan, no ads, your local NBC channel live and the ability to download and stream offline.

On Saturday (Sept. 26), SNL with host Jalen Brunson and musical guest KATSEYE broadcasts live on NBC. One of the best ways to watch is with DirecTV.

Chuck Varga, a founding member of the costumed heavy metal band GWAR, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 68.

Varga’s death was announced Friday (Sept. 25) in a social media post by GWAR bassist Casey Orr, who performs as Beefcake the Mighty.

“He was one of a kind. As an artist, as a performer; as a scholar and a gentleman,” Orr wrote on Facebook, noting that Varga died peacefully alongside his wife, Bambi. “I’m better for having known him and the world is lesser for his leaving.”

Varga was best known for creating and portraying GWAR’s Sexecutioner character, beginning in 1985. He left the band in 1997 but continued to make occasional appearances with the group before retiring from performing in 2021, according to the band’s website.

In his tribute, Orr wrote that Varga is “most likely being welcomed into Valhalla right now” by the late GWAR members Dave Brockie, the band’s longtime frontman who performed as Oderus Urungus, and Cory Smoot, the guitarist who performed as Flattus Maximus.

“Raise your glass and tell his tales. Legends never die. Hail Varga! Hail Sexicutioner!” Orr concluded.

In June, GWAR launched a fundraiser to help Varga’s family cover the mounting costs of his medical care, including cancer treatments, hospice care, specialized medical equipment and additional nursing support.

Donors who contributed to the fundraiser received access to exclusive merchandise created for the campaign, including a new T-shirt designed by Varga.

Born in 1958, Varga studied at Virginia Commonwealth University before co-founding Slave Pit Studios in Richmond, Virginia, where he helped develop the art-driven project that became GWAR. A multidisciplinary artist, Varga created and portrayed Sexecutioner while also contributing costumes, sets, props and comic art to the band’s elaborate world. He left GWAR in 1997 but continued to make occasional appearances before retiring from performing in 2021.

“Chuck Varga’s contributions to the GWAR and Slave Pit collective are enormous,” Bob Gorman (aka Bonesnapper) wrote in a statement posted on the donation page. “The influence of his illustrations, character designs, performances, and artistic vision can still be felt throughout GWAR today.”

K-pop supergroup Stray Kids recreated an ephemeral city built on music and energetic choreography called STRAYCITY on Friday (Sept. 25). The event took place at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City, where they wrap up this weekend the Latin American leg of their tour. The result was a grand celebration attended by approximately 60,000 fans (according to Ocesa), symbolizing the bonds of friendship between South Korea and Mexico.

The return of the group — made up of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N. — to the iconic stadium came 17 months after their debut in the Latin American country at the same venue. And they didn’t come alone: STRAYCITY, a concert designed in a festival style, also featured performances by the South Korean-Japanese band Nexz, as well as Mexican acts Renee and Andrés Obregón, who opened the show.

“We’re back in Mexico after a year. Did you miss us? ¡No manchen!” said Bang Chan, mixing Korean with Mexican slang, with the help of an interpreter.

“This is the venue we visited on the last tour, and over there it says ‘living is incredible,’” added Hyunjin, pointing to a slogan displayed on one of the stadium’s structures. “I even took a picture of it.”

Thousands of Nachimbongs — Stray Kids’ official light sticks — illuminated the stands, creating a warm vibe. Fans who didn’t have one of those improvised by using their phone lights to join in. The STAYs — as Stray Kids’ fans are known — performed some of the choreographies along with the group, as the stadium roared to the rhythm of hits like “TOPLINE,” “S-Class,” “Bounce Back,” “MANIAC,” “DOMINO,” “Thunderous” and “DIVINE.” Each track was synchronized with the moves of the dancers accompanying the idols.

The setlist also included “Walkin on Water,” “God’s Menu,” “Chk Chk Boom” and a rock version of “LALALALA.” On the stage, three massive towers that emitted flames lit up in perfect coordination with the fans’ Nachimbongs, creating an immersive atmosphere that elevated every moment of the show.

Among the STAYs in attendance was a very special guest: South Korean president Lee Jae-myung, accompanied by first lady Kim Hye-kyung, who held her Nachimbong high and cheered with the fandom. The South Korean head of state concluded a successful official visit to Mexico this week with a stop that was pure K-pop, featuring one of his country’s most representative musical groups.

“Live footage from Stray Kids’ Mexico City performance commemorating the Korea-Mexico summit,” the South Korean president wrote on X on Friday, sharing a video of the performance. “You can truly feel the great power of K-pop, which showcases Korea, the nation of strong culture, to the world.”

President Lee and the first lady were joined by Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Mexico’s secretary of Culture, who attended with 10 children from vulnerable communities. These kids were gifted tickets to the show, as announced a day earlier by Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum.

“Looking at this atmosphere, it seems like no one wants to go home tonight,” Bang Chan told the crowd. “Do you guys not want to leave either? Let’s see how much longer we can go.” He then paused to give some recommendations on how fans should take care of each other and help anyone in need.

With 90 minutes of electrifying performances and a live showcase of their biggest hits, STRAYCITY became the largest concert Stray Kids has ever held in Mexico to date, according to organizers. Stray Kids will return to the GNP Seguros Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 26) for the second night of STRAYCITY, officially concluding their Latin American tour after stops in Colombia, Argentina and Brazil.

Dolly Parton knew she had one more song to sing — and, according to Bono, she gave it her all.

Two months before her death at 80, Parton stepped into the studio to record what would become her final vocal performance: “Torn,” a country-tinged duet with Bono that will close U2’s upcoming album Carnaval De Luz.

Bono spoke to Rolling Stone about the upcoming release, and vulnerably admitted that hearing the recording is almost too difficult.

“When she got ill, she got out of her bed to sing this song,” Bono said. “And you can hear that. And I can’t even listen to it now.”

Parton recorded her vocals for “Torn” in June, and she wasn’t simply lending her voice to a song that had already been finished. She helped shape it.

Bono had originally approached Parton about collaborating on another project, but she ultimately brought him a song of her own called “Torn.” Bono and Snow Patrol‘s Johnny McDaid then reworked the lyrics around a mother watching her family break apart, creating the version that would become Parton’s collaboration with U2.

Thankfully, Parton got to hear the finished result before her passing.

According to Rolling Stone, the singer approved the final mix before her death. Producer Garet “Jacknife” Lee recalled that Parton was proud of her vocal and “thrilled with it.” That makes “Torn” more than just a posthumous collaboration. It is a recording Parton herself signed off on — and one that now carries the weight of being the final vocal performance of a seven-decade career.

U2 announced Thursday (Sept. 24) that “Torn” will be the closing track on Carnaval De Luz, the band’s first studio album of new material in nine years. The 12-track set is due Nov. 13 via Island Records.

The album itself marks a significant time for U2 and their careers. Carnaval De Luz arrives during the band’s 50th anniversary year and follows two surprise six-track EPs, Days of Ash and Easter Lily, released earlier in 2026. According to U2, the three projects were recorded during the same creative period and are connected by a broader thematic arc.

“Torn,” though, now sits apart from the rest of the album because of what it represents. Bono shared that it serves as somewhat of a reminder of how intimate music-making can become when the person on the other side of the microphone is no longer here.

“It’s very moving to have had these intimacies with such a figure,” he told Rolling Stone. “The fact that they’re not there now, in any way you can call back, other than through her songs, is very sobering.”

Parton died on Aug. 25 at 80 from a brief battle with cancer.

Apparently, Dakota Johnson has a simple rule when it comes to mixing friendship and work: don’t. Taylor Swift, however, is rightfully the exception.

As Swift prepares to debut her new “Patient Zero” music video during the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday (Sept. 27), Johnson is opening up about what it was like to collaborate with one of her longtime friends.

“Taylor and I have been friends for a really long time, and we’re very close,” Johnson said in a Sept. 24 interview with Fan Girl Nation, which she did alongside her “Verity” co-star Josh Hartnett. “And we decided to work together, and it’s great.”

“Normally, I would say don’t work with your friends,” Johnson added. “But we work really well together.”

That friendship is now playing out on screen, with Johnson starring alongside Swift and Colin Farrell in the “Patient Zero” video. Swift directed the visual, which will make its world premiere during the VMAs on Sunday.

Swift first gave fans a glimpse of the collaboration Thursday with a 13-second teaser that revealed Johnson and Farrell as the video’s co-stars. The fleeting clip shows Swift and Johnson together in several mysterious scenes, including one at a gravesite, while Farrell also appears in the cinematic visual.

Johnson’s casting is also a timely crossover: She is currently promoting “Verity,” the psychological thriller in which she stars alongside Hartnett. But her appearance in “Patient Zero” marks a very different kind of collaboration — one rooted in her personal friendship with Swift.

The two have maintained a friendship for years, with Swift even writing about Johnson in an April TIME profile celebrating the actress as one of the magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2026. Swift praised Johnson’s frankness and described her as someone whose candor makes it feel like she “can’t lie.”

“Patient Zero” is the first peek from The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, which arrives Friday (Sept. 25). The music video will follow two days later with its VMAs premiere, where Swift will also receive the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors.