Alexander Skarsgård and Cardi B drive SNL host questions into February
Searches for snl host tonight and who is hosting snl tonight surged after snl last night delivered a milestone episode: Alexander Skarsgård hosted Saturday Night Live’s 1,000th episode on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, with Cardi B as musical guest. The spike is partly about timing—SNL airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET—and partly about name confusion, as “skarsgard,” “alex skarsgard,” “alexander skarsgard,” and even “skarsgard alexander” have all trended as viewers look up the actor after his debut.
So, who is hosting SNL tonight?
On Monday, Feb. 2, 2026 (ET), there is no new live episode scheduled. That’s the key reason “SNL host” queries are colliding with “tonight” searches: many people are looking for a fresh Saturday lineup on a non-broadcast night.
The most recent new episode aired Jan. 31 (ET), and the next confirmed new episode is set for Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 (ET) with Connor Storrie as host and Mumford & Sons as musical guest. If you’re seeing “tonight” attached to SNL in social posts, it often refers to replays, clips, or time-zone confusion rather than a live Monday broadcast.
What happened on SNL last night
If you searched snl last night, you likely landed on the Jan. 31 broadcast, which leaned into the occasion with a bigger feel: a milestone framing, multiple high-profile cameos, and a musical set built for spectacle.
Skarsgård’s monologue played with his Swedish roots and his public image—mixing deadpan self-awareness with a willingness to look silly. One of the week’s most replayed moments came from the pre-show promotional pieces, where Skarsgård appeared alongside Chloe Fineman and Cardi B in a “Dry January” bit that quickly spread beyond typical SNL promo reach.
Cardi B’s performances included “Bodega Baddie” and “ErrTime,” and she also popped up in a sketch cameo, reinforcing the episode’s “event” tone rather than a standard host-and-guest split.
Quick schedule snapshot
Here’s the simplest way to map the buzz to the calendar (all times ET):
| What people mean | Date | Host / musical guest |
|---|---|---|
| “SNL last night” (most recent new episode) | Sat., Jan. 31, 2026 | Alexander Skarsgård / Cardi B |
| “SNL host tonight” (on a Monday) | Mon., Feb. 2, 2026 | No new live episode scheduled |
| Next confirmed new episode | Sat., Feb. 28, 2026 | Connor Storrie / Mumford & Sons |
Who is Alexander Skarsgård?
If your search was who is alexander skarsgard, the essentials are straightforward: he’s a Swedish actor whose breakout television fame turned into a steady run of major film and prestige-TV roles. He’s known for playing characters who read calm on the surface but carry something volatile underneath—an on-screen energy that fits SNL’s “host with a point of view” approach.
The Skarsgård name is also a family brand in acting. Bill Skarsgård—his younger brother—is widely recognized for dark, transformative roles in horror and thriller projects, which has led some fans to mix up “Bill” and “Alexander” when searching right after the broadcast.
Why this episode hit differently
SNL’s big episodes often succeed or fail on one practical question: does the host commit? Skarsgård did, and that commitment made even smaller beats feel larger. Add Cardi B’s return to the SNL stage after a long gap, and the night became the kind of pop-culture moment that keeps circulating for days—especially when short clips detach from context and get reposted as if they happened “tonight.”
The lingering effect is what you’re seeing in search trends now: people trying to match a clip to an episode, confirm whether a new show is airing, and figure out how to spell the host’s name—Skarsgård with the diacritic, or Skarsgard without it—depending on their device and keyboard.
Sources consulted: NBC Insider; Los Angeles Times; Entertainment Weekly; Pitchfork
