25 Years in the Making: Survivor 50 Cast and Premiere Exclusive First Look

A nasty rain and heavy wind are smacking Jeff Probst right in the face as he stands on the sandy shores of Fiji. According to EW, this is the momentous start of Survivor 50, the anniversary season of the most influential reality competition show in television history.

Survivor 50 Cast and Premiere: Legends Return to the Beach

The highly anticipated season is set to premiere on February 25, 2026, on CBS. A massive silver barge arrived on shore carrying 24 well-known passengers, a mix of Old Era icons like Stephenie and Jenna, and New Era stars like Dee. "We built a show that's lasted so long, we are on our 50th iteration of it. And that was cool," Probst reflected while watching the barge arrive.

Joy and Passion over Massive Paychecks

In a bold move against the current reality TV trend of exorbitant appearance fees, Survivor 50 is returning to its roots. The show is utilizing the season 8 payment model, where the first person voted out receives $25,000 plus a $10,000 reunion fee. Production emphasized they wanted "joyful" players who actually wanted to be there for the game, not just a leverage situation.