When Is Dragons’ Den Back? (2026 Series)

Last updated 4 October 2026. This is a living page, refreshed as the BBC confirms new air dates.

Dragons' Den has completed its 2026 run. Series 23 opened on BBC One on Thursday 29 January, ran for seven episodes to 12 March, then returned on Thursday 20 August. The fourteenth and final episode aired on Friday 25 September at 8pm. If you missed the second half, you can catch up on BBC iPlayer.

Both blocks belonged to series 23. Here is when they aired, where to catch up, and what the BBC's current listings say about the next broadcast.

When does Dragons' Den return in 2026?

The first block of series 23 aired weekly from 29 January 2026 in the 8pm slot on BBC One, wrapping on 12 March after seven episodes. The second block began on Thursday 20 August and ended with episode 14 on Friday 25 September, also at 8pm on BBC One.

If you are catching up rather than watching live, the episodes that have aired are available as a box set on BBC iPlayer, so you can watch the 2026 series from the start whenever you like.

What is confirmed and what is still to be announced?

Confirmed: series 23 has finished. Its resident Dragons were Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman and Steven Bartlett, with a rotating guest Dragon in the fifth chair. This was Touker Suleyman's final series, following his June 2026 announcement that he was leaving the show.

As of 4 October 2026, the BBC's programme listings do not show a next broadcast date. Check those listings for the next return; the completed August–September block was the second half of series 23.

How does the BBC schedule Dragons' Den?

The scheduling has shifted over the years. The very first episode aired on 4 January 2005 on BBC Two, and for much of the show's early life new series ran in the middle of the year. Since moving to BBC One, recent series have tended to open in January and then return with more episodes later in the same year, splitting a single series across two windows.

Recent series have often followed that pattern, but it does not confirm when the next run will begin. The BBC's programme listings are the place to check for a specific date.

There is a reason the format lends itself to a break. A single series is filmed as one long block, then cut into episodes, so the BBC can hold some back and use them to fill a later slot in the schedule. For viewers, the practical effect is simple: if the Den seems to disappear mid-year, it has usually not ended, it is just waiting for its second window.

Where can you watch Dragons' Den?

New episodes air first on BBC One and stream live and on demand on BBC iPlayer. Older series are also available as box sets on iPlayer, so there is plenty to watch while waiting for the next run.

For a different flavour of the same format, the American Shark Tank and Shark Tank India are the closest relatives, both built from the Japanese template that Dragons' Den came from. Steven Bartlett is also appearing as a guest shark on the American Shark Tank: ABC has scheduled his debut for Wednesday 7 October 2026, with the episode available on Hulu the following day.

Common questions

Is Dragons' Den back in 2026? Yes. Series 23 aired in two blocks, from 29 January to 12 March and from 20 August to 25 September. That run has finished, and the episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.

What day is Dragons' Den on? Series 23 usually aired on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One, though its finale aired on Friday 25 September 2026 at 8pm. The BBC's listings checked on 4 October do not show a next broadcast date.

Is there a new series of Dragons' Den? The most recent run was series 23, which finished on 25 September 2026. It was Touker Suleyman's last series; the BBC's current programme listings do not give a date for the next run.

Where can I watch Dragons' Den? On BBC One when it airs, and on BBC iPlayer for live and on-demand viewing, including box sets of earlier series.