Mumford & Sons Bring Out Hozier for Surprise ‘Rubber Band Man’ on SNL
Mumford & Sons returned to Studio 8H on February 28th, and hozier walked out mid-set to join the band for a surprise live performance of “Rubber Band Man, ” a collaboration from their new album Prizefighter.
Hozier joins for 'Rubber Band Man' at Studio 8H
The standout moment of the band’s fourth Saturday Night Live appearance came when Hozier and co-producer Aaron Dessner of the National stepped on stage for “Rubber Band Man, ” a song co-written by Brandi Carlile that has spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. The surprise cameo energized the Studio 8H crowd during the February 28th broadcast and marked Mumford & Sons’ first SNL visit since 2018, when they promoted the album Delta.
Band leaned on Prizefighter material and guest vocalists
The English folk rock group played two songs from Prizefighter during the set, opening with “Rubber Band Man” and later performing “Here, ” the album’s opening track that features Chris Stapleton. Sierra Ferrell and Aaron Dessner joined the band on stage for the performances, and the set included other Prizefighter tracks such as “The Banjo Song. ” Prizefighter was released on February 20th.
Marcus Mumford called Prizefighter the band's most direct record
Marcus Mumford, 39, has described Prizefighter as his favorite of the group’s albums released in recent months, saying the record felt like “the straightest talking record” and came closest to representing the band’s essence. Co-founder Ted Dwane, 41, praised Dessner’s production work. The group released Rushmere last March — their first album as a trio after guitarist and banjoist Winston Marshall left the band in part due to political differences — and Prizefighter is the band’s second album in less than a year.
Host Connor Storrie staged hockey cameos and sketches
The episode was hosted by Connor Storrie, a 26-year-old Canadian actor best known for his role as Shane Hollander on HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry, making his SNL debut. In his opening monologue, Storrie brought out members of the U. S. women’s Olympic hockey team, who recently won gold, alongside the U. S. men’s squad, poking fun at the contrast between the women’s recent triumph and the men’s 40-plus year gold medal drought.
Rockefeller Center sketch and Hudson Williams cameo drove online shares
A late-night sketch filmed at the Rink at Rockefeller Center featured Hudson Williams, Storrie’s Heated Rivalry costar, in an unannounced cameo. The two actors, who play rival hockey players on the show, skated together in a sequence that quickly became the episode’s most shared moment online. Williams later returned to Studio 8H to join Storrie in introducing Mumford & Sons for the musical segment.
Tour plans, festival dates and ticket notes
Mumford & Sons are scheduled to tour Australia and New Zealand in April before hitting North America in June and then Europe; the band will be back in the United States through October, headlining Louisville, Kentucky’s Bourbon & Beyond Festival. Promotional notes around the broadcast included guidance on how to get tickets to see Mumford & Sons when they head out on tour in 2026.
Other headlines and adjacent items seen around the coverage
During the same editorial roundup were items headlined: Madonna Steals the Spotlight at Dolce & Gabbana's Milan Fashion Week Show; How to Watch the 2026 NAACP Image Awards Online; How to Watch WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 Live Online for Free; Kelly Clarkson, Michael Bublé, Pentatonix & Train Will Bring Their Holiday Hits to iHeart Christmas Concert; Fox Plans NFT Debut With $20 'Masked Singer' Collectibles; and a retrospective piece titled 14 Things That Changed (or Didn’t) at Farm Aid 2021. Other sidebar notes mentioned signing up for Billboard's newsletter, Wall Street strategists seeing distinctions among certain tech names in the near term, and that the Indiana men and Michigan women won Big Ten titles in swimming and diving.
What to watch next
Fans can expect Mumford & Sons to continue promoting Prizefighter on the road: the band’s immediate confirmed schedule lists Australia and New Zealand in April, North America beginning in June, and return dates in the United States through October with a headline slot at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, Kentucky.
