<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Season chronology </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> ← Previous Season 25 Next → Season 27 </Td> </Tr> <P> Season twenty - six of Dancing with the Stars, titled Dancing with the Stars: Athletes, premiered on April 30, 2018, on the ABC network . The four - week season, the shortest ever, features a cast of current and former athletes . </P> <P> On May 21, 2018, Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon and professional dancer Jenna Johnson were announced the winners, marking the first win for Johnson . Rippon is the first openly gay winner . NFL player Josh Norman, with Sharna Burgess, and former Olympic Figure Skater Tonya Harding, with Sasha Farber, were both announced as runners - up during the live finale show . However, it was revealed later that Josh and Sharna placed second, while Tonya and Sasha placed third . </P>

When did dancing with the stars start 2018