The full lineup of dances and accompanying songs for the first live show of Strictly Come Dancing 2026 has been announced ahead of the show airing tonight. Following the launch program last weekend, the BBC revealed that 15 celebrities and their professional dance partners will perform a variety of styles ranging from quickstep to samba and tango.
Among the highlighted performances, actress Bethany Antonia and her partner Nancy Xu will open with a quickstep set to "Stop This Flame" by Celeste. Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington are scheduled to perform a samba to "Baiana" by Barbatuques, while actress Jaime Winstone and reigning champion Carlos Gu will present a tango to Donna Summer’s "I Feel Love." EastEnders actress Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola will dance a cha cha to Whitney Houston’s "How Will I Know."
Other participants include actress Melanie Walters and Aljaz Skorjanec performing a cha cha to “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee. Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon will tackle a quickstep to "C’est Magnifique" by Kay Starr, and Olympian Tabby Stoecker with Mark Karmalita are set for a jive to "Animal" by Katseye. Love Island winner Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby will also do a quickstep, selecting "I Just Might" by Bruno Mars for their routine.
The lineup continues with Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden performing a tango to "No Roots" by Alice Merton; Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly trainer Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley dancing a cha cha to a Smokey Joe’s Cafe rendition of "Hound Dog"; social media personality John Nellis and Katya Jones presenting a foxtrot to Alex Warren’s "Ordinary"; Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystal performing a paso doble to "Aperture" by Harry Styles; and former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips alongside Alexis Warr dancing a cha cha to "Lil Boo Thang" by Paul Russell.
Earlier this week, it was also confirmed that former Love Island winner Dani Dyer-Bowen will perform a samba with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin. Additionally, TV presenter Will Best and Dianne Buswell will take on a samba to "Rock DJ" by Robbie Williams.
The first live show will open with a group number featuring the hosts, professionals, and judges performing to an orchestral version of "Joy" by Raye. The performances mark the beginning of the competitive phase of the series as viewers and judges begin evaluating the celebrities’ progress on the dance floor.