Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold with Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa on ‘DWTS’.
The Dancing With the Stars season 35 cast will be paying homage to some iconic Super Bowl halftime performances during week 5.Andy Richter revealed the songs and dance styles during this week’s Dancing With the Stars Official Podcast.The NFL-themed week comes ahead of ABC and ESPN’s February 2027 Super Bowl LXI broadcast.
Dancing With the Stars is paying homage to some of the most iconic performances of all time — and, yes, there will be NFL stars in attendance.
When DWTS premiered last month, the week 5 theme was initially a mystery. However, ABC announced on Sept. 30 that it would be all football all the time as the contestants hit the competition’s halfway point — and sports commentator Joe Buck will be joining Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough at the judges table.
What exactly does Super Bowl night entail? DWTS is set to “honor the music, spectacle and unforgettable moments of the big game,” according to a release shared with Entertainment Weekly last month. This week’s theme is the network’s preview for what’s to come in February 2027, when Super Bowl LXI airs on ABC and sister network ESPN.
Alfonso Ribeiro, Ciara Miller, Brandon Armstrong, and Julianne Hough on ‘Dancing With the Stars'DANCING WITH THE STARS
The remaining DWTS constants are sure to bring the heat during week 5 as the show’s milestone 35th season has included some surprise eliminations. The Oct. 6 episode had viewers saying goodbye to Summer House star Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong.
Professional dancer Sharna Burgess told EW that everyone backstage “gasped” upon hearing who would be going home. “We genuinely support and love each other back here and we want everyone to do well and we root for everyone, so you don’t want anyone to go home,” she added. “But I did not think it was going to be them.”
Keep reading to see which Super Bowl performances the celebrity contestants and their professional partners will be honoring on Oct. 13.
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
Dance: Samba
Song: “Mi Gente” by J Balvin & Willy William
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
Dance: Samba
Song: “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
Dance: Salsa
Song: “Hot in Herre” by Nelly
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson
Dance: Salsa
Song: “Tití Me Preguntó” by Bad Bunny
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson on ‘DWTS’.
Dance: Samba
Song: “Yeah!” by Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
Dance: Salsa
Song: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Paso Doble
Song: “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
Dance: Jazz
Song: “Jenny From the Block” [Track Masters Remix] by Jennifer Lopez ft. Jadakiss & Styles P
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
Dance: Tango
Song: “Only Girl (In the World)” by Rihanna
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
Dance: Salsa
Song: “Squabble Up” by Kendrick Lamar
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess on ‘DWTS’.
Dance: Jazz
Song: “The Time (Dirty Bit)” by Black Eyed Peas
New episodes of Dancing With the Stars season 35 air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+. Watch the full podcast episode below.