Wet Leg to Make History as SNL UK’s Inaugural Musical Guest

When the iconic words “Live from London, it’s Saturday Night!” ring out for the very first time this coming Saturday, March 21, Wet Leg will be right there on stage to make history alongside them. The Isle of Wight five-piece has been announced as the inaugural musical guest for Saturday Night Live UK, the long-awaited British incarnation of Lorne Michaels’ 50-year-old sketch comedy institution, premiering on Sky One. It’s a casting choice that feels both inevitable and perfect.

SNL UK is a live sketch comedy variety show based on the original American version, created and executive produced by Lorne Michaels himself. The British version follows the same format fans know well: a rotating celebrity host, a core repertory cast, live music, topical sketches, and a UK take on Weekend Update. SNL veteran Tina Fey will host the series premiere, with Wet Leg accompanying her as the inaugural musical guest. The following week, Jamie Dornan will host with musical guest Wolf Alice, and Riz Ahmed will lead the April 4 episode with Kasabian. It’s a murderer’s row of British talent across the board, but it’s Wet Leg who get to go first, and that matters.

If you had to design the ideal band to christen a new British cultural institution in 2026, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than Wet Leg. The English indie rock band was founded on the Isle of Wight in 2019 by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, and now also includes Josh Mobaraki, Ellis Durand, and Henry Holmes. In just a few years, they’ve gone from viral internet curiosity (their debut single “Chaise Longue” blew up seemingly overnight) to bona fide institution in their own right. Their self-titled debut album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and Australia’s ARIA Albums Chart, was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, and earned them two Grammy wins at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance for “Chaise Longue.” Then came the sophomore album: their eagerly anticipated second record, Moisturizer, saw the full five-piece more involved in the songwriting process, and the resulting album returned them to the top of the UK charts. Critics were effusive, with The Guardian‘s Alexis Petridis calling it “a blast” and Pitchfork describing it as a “near-reinvention” of the band’s image, featuring a meatier, more expansive sound. Most recently, Moisturizer earned the band three Grammy nominations at the 2026 ceremony, including Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance for their current single “Mangetout.”

George Carlin was accompanied by two musical guests, Janis Ian and Billy Preston, when he hosted the very first SNL in October 1975. Fifty years later, Wet Leg will be the sole act carrying the musical torch into a brand new chapter of that legacy, this time for a British audience. There’s a pleasing symmetry here. SNL has always been a launchpad for the next generation of cultural voices. Wet Leg, for all their Grammy wins and critical acclaim, still carry the spirit of two friends messing about on the Isle of Wight and writing a song called “Chaise Longue” just for fun. That mix of irreverence, wit, and genuine musical craft feels precisely right for a show that’s trying to plant the SNL flag on British soil without losing what makes the format special.

As of this writing, Wet Leg haven’t publicly commented on the booking, but frankly, they don’t need to. The performance will speak for itself. For American fans, the good news is you won’t have to wait long: every episode of SNL UK lands on Peacock the day after its UK airdate, meaning you can catch the historic premiere as early as Sunday, March 22. Set your reminders. History is being made, and Wet Leg is playing the soundtrack.