What we know so far

The wait for Euphoria is nearly over. On Friday, HBO announced that the Sam Levinson-created drama, led by Challengers star Zendaya, will officially return for its third season in 2026. Season 2 of Euphoria concluded in early 2022.

Many of the details about what’s to come for Euphoria and its characters remain unknown, but we do know that there will be a time jump that moves the story beyond high school. Zendaya, who stars as recovering teen drug addict Rue Bennett, said during a 2024 episode of Entertainment Weekly’s “The Awards” podcast that she’s in favor of this decision because “there’s only so much high school drama you can deal with.”

“It will be fascinating to see and understand these characters outside of the context of high school and how all the stuff that we saw when they were kids and they were in high school affects the adulthood they have and who they become in a much bigger world,” the Dune 2 star added. “I’ll be interested to see what happens too.”

When does Euphoria Season 3 premiere?

Season 3 of Euphoria is set to premiere in spring 2026. An exact date has not been announced yet.

How many episodes of Euphoria Season 3 will there be?

The third season of Euphoria will consist of eight episodes, according to the show’s IMDb page.

Who is returning for Euphoria Season 3? 

In February, the official Euphoria Instagram account confirmed that the main cast of the HBO series would return for its third season. In addition to Zendaya, who will be reprising her role, the following stars are set to return:

• Hunter Shafer as Jules Vaughn

• Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs

• Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Howard

• Alexa Demie as Maddy Perez

• Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard

• Colman Domingo as Ali Muhammed

Also returning for Season 3 are:

• Melvin Bonez Estes as Bruce

• Nika King as Leslie Bennett

• Paula Marshall as Marsha Jacobs

• Zak Steiner as Aaron Jacobs

Will there be any new characters in Euphoria Season 3?

Yes. The third season of Euphoria will feature a lot of new faces. HBO announced that the following actors are joining the Primetime Emmy-winning series this season:

Sharon Stone has also been confirmed to join the cast of Euphoria. 

“There is little more exciting than going to work with this team of thrilling talent,” Stone said in a February statement. “From the genius of Sam Levinson to the raw sophistication of this profoundly moving cast and tight crew. I am honored to be Euphoric.”

In addition to the 27 new cast members, Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer will join the series to help score season three. Zimmer will work alongside Labrinth, who was responsible for the music in the first two seasons of Euphoria.

“It’s an honor to join this incredible team of storytellers led by Sam Levinson,” Zimmer said in a statement. “Together, they have crafted such a bold and moving series that has meant so much to audiences. Labrinth’s music has shaped the show’s identity and I’m looking forward to contributing to the ongoing story and helping shape this new season through music.”

It’s been a while … where did we leave off with Euphoria? 

We’ve seen Rue go through a lot in the first and second seasons, though by the end of Season 2, it feels like we finally see a glimmer of hope for her. After watching Lexi’s school play, Rue, who is clean and sober, realizes it’s the first time she’s ever objectively looked at her life without hating herself. She then tells Lexi that she wants to find a productive way to channel the pain of losing her father that doesn’t involve drug use.

The finale also shows Rue seemingly prioritizing her own sobriety over her love for Jules. When Jules approaches Rue and expresses her love for her, Rue reveals that she’s not yet ready to give their friendship — or romance — another chance. It’s a decision that’s perhaps fueled by the fact that Jules told Rue’s mother about her drug use and/or that she suspects that Jules cheated on her with Elliot.

Season 2 culminated in a series of confrontations: Maddy and Cassie have it out on stage during Lexi’s play, Nate turns Cal into the police for recording sexual encounters without consent, and a full-blown shootout goes down at Fezco’s apartment.

What has the cast said about Euphoria? 

While the details surrounding Rosalía’s character remain unknown, the Spanish singer said Euphoria “has been my favorite series over the last few years.”

“If there’s anything that excites me as much as creating a good melody or writing a great lyric it’s becoming a better performer every day,” the “Beso” singer said in a statement. “I couldn’t be happier and more grateful to be acting alongside all of these incredibly talented people that I admire so much and contributing my ‘granito de arena’ to bring Sam’s vision to reality to make magic.”

Schafer, meanwhile, has been candid about how difficult it may be to return to filming Euphoria following the sudden death, in 2023, of her costar, Angus Cloud. Cloud, who played Fezco on the show, died of an accidental overdose at age 25. Still, Schafer has said she’s hopeful she and her fellow castmates can churn out a “beautiful” third season.

“I think everyone feels a certain sense of anticipation for if we are supposed to do Season 3,” she said during an episode of Call Her Daddy in 2024. “I think there’s a world in which we can channel that into making it a beautiful Season 3 if it is supposed to happen, but I think that s*** really threw everyone for a loop.”