Quick answer: Survivor 51 premiered Wednesday, September 23, 2026, with a two-hour episode at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. From September 30, episodes are 90 minutes, still on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. As of October 25, episodes 1–5 have aired. Episode 6, “I Love Crying,” is Wednesday, October 28. Paramount+ Premium can stream live. Every Paramount+ plan gets the episode the next day. The prize is $1 million (CBS; CBS episode list).
This is the first season of the Open Era, and every player is new. The wider season lives on our Survivor hub.
What the Open Era means
CBS says Season 51 is the first of the Open Era, “in which every twist, every idol, every advantage in the series’ history may come into play in any order and without warning.” Jeff Probst put it this way at the Season 50 finale, as Paramount+ quotes him: anything that has ever happened on the show can happen in any season, at any time, in any order, without warning (Paramount+).
The castaways are in Fiji. They still have to build a society, win challenges, and keep their torches lit. Paramount+ says seasons 41–49 were the “new era,” Season 50 mixed returning players with newer ones, and 51 is the Open Era with an all-new cast.
Where to watch
In the US: CBS, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The premiere was two hours, 8–10 p.m. Regular episodes are 8–9:30 p.m.
Paramount+ Premium subscribers can stream the episode live, through the live feed of their local CBS station, and on demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers do not get it live. They get it on demand the day after it airs (CBS).
Past seasons, from Borneo through Season 50, are on Paramount+ (Paramount+).
In the UK: The CBS and Paramount+ pages this guide uses do not name a UK broadcaster for Season 51. A US Paramount+ login is not the same thing as Paramount+ UK. Check a UK guide before you assume it is there.
What has aired
CBS lists these Season 51 episodes. Episodes 1–5 have aired:
| Episode | Air date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | Permanent Uncertainty |
| 2 | Wednesday, September 30 | Weaponized Honesty |
| 3 | Wednesday, October 7 | What I’m Smellin’ Is Stinky |
| 4 | Wednesday, October 14 | That’s the Magic of Survivor |
| 5 | Wednesday, October 21 | Not Here to Get a Pedicure |
| 6 | Wednesday, October 28 (upcoming) | I Love Crying |
Source: CBS. Episode 6’s title is from CBS’s October 22 listing (via The Futon Critic).
Episode 1’s synopsis says one player left the beach on a journey before the first Tribal Council. Episode 5, “Not Here to Get a Pedicure,” sent two tribes to Tribal Council and gave one player what CBS calls a never-before-seen advantage (CBS). Alexis Levine and Linnea Capobianco were voted out in episode 5, leaving 14 castaways (TVLine). How it happened: Survivor 51 episode 5, explained. This page does not keep a full elimination table for earlier weeks.
The 21 castaways
Everyone is playing for the first time. Ages, hometowns, and jobs below are from Paramount+’s Season 51 guide, updated October 22, which matches the names in CBS’s August 26 cast release (Paramount+; CBS).
| Castaway | Age | Hometown | Now lives | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaliyah Puglia | 24 | Gloucester City, N.J. | Providence, R.I. | Chef |
| Alexis Levine | 34 | Atlanta | Atlanta | Criminal defense attorney |
| An “Thien An” Nguyen | 24 | Fort Worth, Texas | Fort Worth, Texas | Medical student |
| Ana Sani | 34 | Richmond Hill, Ontario | Toronto | Voice actress |
| Angelica “Jelly” Loblack | 29 | Garland, Texas, and Midwest City, Okla. | Bloomington, Ind. | Sociology professor |
| Brady Booker | 27 | La Salle, Ill. | Knoxville, Tenn. | Pro wrestler |
| Carter Krull | 24 | Rock Rapids, Iowa | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Livestock farmer |
| Cristian Chavez | 26 | Salt Lake City | Salt Lake City | Head of HR |
| Danny “Kilby” Kilby | 30 | Mount Forest, Ontario | London, Ontario | Game designer |
| Devin Way | 33 | Lufkin, Texas | Los Angeles | Actor |
| Eric Macksoud | 34 | Lincoln, R.I. | Windsor Locks, Conn. | Mental health counselor |
| Jenna Doore | 30 | Perrysburg, Ohio | Toledo, Ohio | Wedding photographer |
| Kristin Flickinger | 49 | Ketchum, Idaho | Santa Barbara, Calif. | Crisis management |
| Lewis Kelly | 28 | Dublin, Ireland | Puerto Rico | Farmer |
| Linnea Capobianco | 25 | Kearny, N.J. | Jersey City, N.J. | Entrepreneur |
| Maggie Nestor | 40 | Middleway, W.Va. | Charlestown, W.Va. | Farmer |
| Mike Pinsky | 32 | New York City | New York City | Baseball executive |
| Ori Jean-Charles | 27 | Spring Valley, N.Y. | Spring Valley, N.Y. | Personal trainer |
| Patt Cannaday | 33 | Tampa, Fla. | Washington, D.C. | Federal prosecutor |
| Rob Antonson | 40 | Johnston, R.I. | Cumberland, R.I. | Airline gate agent |
| Sharonda Cox | 34 | Pompano Beach, Fla. | Richmond, Ky. | OBGYN resident |
CBS’s press release highlights a professional wrestler, a sociology professor, a medical student, a baseball executive, and more than one farmer in that group. Probst is host and an executive producer, with Mark Burnett, Matt VanWagenen, Kahaia Pearson, and Jesse Jensen.
Sources
- CBS / Paramount Press Express, Season 51 cast and premiere (August 26, 2026): paramountpressexpress.com
- CBS, premiere synopsis for “Permanent Uncertainty”: paramountpressexpress.com
- CBS, episode 5 listing, “Not Here to Get a Pedicure” (aired October 21, 2026): cbs.com
- CBS listing for episode 6, “I Love Crying” (October 22, 2026), via The Futon Critic: thefutoncritic.com
- TVLine, episode 5 recap (October 22, 2026): tvline.com
- Paramount+, “Survivor 51: Everything You Need To Know” (updated October 22, 2026): paramountplus.com
- Paramount+, where to watch past seasons: paramountplus.com
