When Does ‘The Bachelor’ Season 30 Premiere?

It’s safe to say that 2026 was a weird year for Bachelor Nation, with no shows from the franchise airing for the first time since The Bachelor first premiered in 2002. In March 2026, ABC announced it was canceling Season 22 of The Bachelorette following a controversy involving lead Taylor Frankie Paul.

The news broke just days before Season 22 was supposed to premiere, and left fans worried about the future of the entire franchise. Over the summer, there was no new season of Bachelor in Paradise, and no new season from The Golden Bachelor franchise aired in the fall, either.

However, it’s not the end of Bachelor Nation. Rob Mills, the executive vice president of unscripted for Walt Disney TV, confirmed in April 2026 that The Bachelor has been renewed for Season 30. More than six months later, we finally have an update on when to expect the new installment. Swooon is breaking down all the latest details about The Bachelor Season 30.

When will The Bachelor return for Season 30?

The Bachelor Season 30 premieres on Sunday, March 21, at 8:01/7:01c. While The Bachelor previously aired on Mondays, American Idol now holds ABC’s winter/spring Monday night slot, and The Bachelor will air on Sunday nights instead.

“The Bachelor is almost a perfect format, and it is really powerful. It’s over two decades old, and it’s seen really good days and really bad days. But it’s always had a lot of resilience, especially when the people making it really, really care about it, because that fan base also really cares about it,” Mills told Deadline. “However, The Bachelor comes back next year, it will be done with a lot of thoughtfulness and care. I do think better days are ahead for the franchise.”

Deadline confirmed in June 2025 that The Bachelor would be returning for Season 30 with a brand new showrunner. Following the exits of Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner in March 2025, Bachelor in Paradise’s newest showrunner, Scott Teti, will also be taking over for The Bachelor.

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Will ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 22 Air This Summer?

Who will be the star of The Bachelor Season 30?

The lead for Season 30 has not been revealed yet.

Mills made it clear the search for a new lead is ongoing. When asked in April 2026 if the next Bachelor had been chosen already, he told Variety, “No, we don’t need to. We have time. It won’t air until midseason next year. We want to get it right, and we’re looking at all sorts of options and having a lot of conversations about that.”

Since Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was axed days before its premiere, due to a domestic violence scandal involving her ex, Dakota Mortensen, viewers didn’t get to meet her batch of suitors. Usually, the lead is chosen from the previous Bachelorette season.

ABC could go back into the pool of single Bachelor Nation stars to find their next lead. There are plenty of single guys! Or they could step outside Bachelor Nation and pick someone who hasn’t been involved with the franchise before. The possibilities are endless!

The Bachelor, Season 30 Premiere, Sunday, March 21, 8/7c, ABC

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