SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE SEASON 52 EPISODE 2 — DAKOTA JOHNSON HOSTS, TURNSTILE DEBUTS AS MUSICAL GUEST TONIGHT

Dakota Johnson hosts Saturday Night Live Season 52 Episode 2 TONIGHT — her third time hosting — while Baltimore rock band Turnstile make their SNL debut as musical guest.

Image: Gabriel Hutchinson / WikiPortraits, via Wikimedia Commons

Tonight's Episode

Saturday Night Live Season 52 Episode 2 airs tonight — Saturday, October 3, 2026 — at 11:30 PM ET on NBC and streaming live on Peacock. Dakota Johnson takes the hosting reins for the third time: she first hosted in February 2015, returned in January 2024, also appeared in the SNL 40th Anniversary Special, and cameoed on December 13, 2025 during Lilly Allen's "Madeline" performance.

Who Are Turnstile?

Turnstile make their SNL debut tonight. The Baltimore rock band — formed in 2010 — features Brendan Yates (vocals), Franz Lyons (bass), Daniel Fang (drums), Pat McCrory (guitar), and Meg Mills (guitar). They took home two 2026 Grammy Awards: Best Rock Album for Never Enough and Best Metal Performance for "BIRDS." They are the first hardcore band to perform on SNL since Fear in 1981. The band is currently on The Never Enough Tour Pt. 2, and rescheduled their October 3 Oklahoma City show to October 5.

Season 52 Lineup So Far

Episode 1 (September 26) featured Jalen Brunson hosting with KATSEYE as musical guest. Coming up: October 10 — Shane Gillis hosts with Rosalía as musical guest; October 31 — Indie Navarrette hosts with Gracie Abrams as musical guest. New cast members this season include Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter, while Chloe Fineman exited in July after seven seasons. It is a big week for Johnson: she stars in Verity, out October 2 alongside Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett — check out Anne Hathaway's viral Verity red-carpet moment and our Verity box office tracking — she also cameoed in Taylor Swift's Patient Zero music video (Dakota Johnson cameo), and on October 1 she reacted positively to SNL's cut-for-time Weekend Update sketch about the Stella Lefty "Boston" songwriting debate.

Watch: Official Promo

FAQs

Q: Who hosts SNL tonight?
A: Dakota Johnson hosts Saturday Night Live Season 52 Episode 2 on Saturday, October 3, 2026 — her third time hosting the show.

Q: Who is the musical guest?
A: Turnstile. The Baltimore rock band makes their SNL debut, becoming the first hardcore band to play the show since Fear in 1981.

Q: What time does it air and how can I watch?
A: The episode airs at 11:30 PM ET on Saturday, October 3, 2026, on NBC and streaming live on Peacock.

Q: What is next week's SNL lineup?
A: On October 10, Shane Gillis hosts with musical guest Rosalía; then on October 31, Indie Navarrette hosts with Gracie Abrams.