Snoop Dogg Cancels 2026 New Year’s Special to Focus on Winter Olympics

The two-hour television special Snoop Dogg’s New Years Eve has been shelved, and not in a fun Elf on the Shelf way. Snoop Dogg and NBC will no longer move forward with the end-of-the-year program they first announced in May. Instead, the rapper will shift his focus towards his correspondent role covering the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February.

“Sometimes the calendar gets in the way of the celebration, which is why my NBC family and I decided this winter was time for us all to focus on the Olympics,” Snoop Dogg said in a statement to Deadline. “But don’t worry, we’ll party together bigger and better later in 2026. Ya dig.”

Snoop was meant to ring in the new year with “a night packed with unforgettable music, iconic performances and surprise artist collaborations,” NBC teased earlier this year. The special was scheduled to be filmed in Miami to appear on NBC and Peacock.

Still, the Olympics are a greater commitment. Snoop first served as a correspondent for the 2024 Summer Olympics and carried the Olympic torch ahead of the Opening Ceremony, earning him the title of “Our Ambassador of Happiness” from NBC Olympics executive producer Molly Solomon.

“We can’t wait to see how the kid from Long Beach handles the snow and ice of Italy at his first-ever Winter Olympics,” Solomon shared in September. “In Paris, Snoop amplified the joy of the Summer Olympics: training with the athletes, watching nervously alongside their families, and cheering on their performances. He connected with viewers in a way we’ve never seen before, and now he’s primed to return as Team USA’s most effusive supporter.”

Athletes from all around the world will gather in Italy for the games taking place between Feb. 6 and Feb. 22.

“I am excited to be back with my main man Mike Tirico for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina,” Snoop said when announcing his return. “The D O double G will be on the scene, and I am looking forward to celebrating with the athletes and their families. The Olympics is the biggest stage in the world and, as everyone knows, I’m all about sports, bringing people together, and unifying while bringing the fun. I’ll be bringing my puffy jackets, snow pants, goggles, skates (and will definitely be iced out).”