In 2024, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon scaled back on the number of new episodes it would air each week. Since then, there hasn’t been a new Friday night episode, but that’s going to change in February 2026.
No, the show isn’t going back to its Friday night show for good. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will have a one-off episode following a special event, and considering it’s all NBC, that’s not surprising.
The Tonight Show will get an Olympic special
On Friday, Feb. 6, the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games will take place. That’s a big moment for NBC, and it makes sense that the network will want to utilize the time afterward. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is getting a special, airing at 11:35/10:35c on that night.
It makes sense for Fallon to get this. Not only does a rerun usually air in this timeslot anyway, but Fallon has a longstanding relationship with specials linked to major moments. There have been Sunday specials following major football games, including a most recent one with Millie Bobby Brown co-hosting.
Plus, Fallon and NBC have an excellent relationship. Not only does Fallon host the talk show, but he also hosts the likes of On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, That’s My Jam, and Password, and there are sure to be many more shows to come. One of those could be hosting the Closing Ceremony, as he co-hosted the Paris Closing Ceremony for HBC with Mike Tirico.
Who will be on The Tonight Show after the Opening Ceremony?
Chris Hemsworth and MrBeast have been confirmed as guests during the special episode. Lil Uzi Vert will be the musical guest for the night, so if you’ve never heard of him, there’s time to check out the music on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you listen to music.
During the Opening Ceremony, Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie will join sports commentator Terry Gannon to cover the event for NBC. Shaun White will also join them, and we’re sure to get some comments about it from Fallon in his monologue.
After this special, we’ll likely see The Tonight Show go dark for two weeks, while NBC covers the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Some of the games happen in the middle of the night in the United States due to time differences, and NBC will want to make sure there is coverage live as well as via news items when needed. However, the full February schedule hasn’t been confirmed just yet.
The Tonight Show airs weeknights at 11:35/10:35c on NBC.