SI LifeStyle

Sabrina Carpenter Rocks On-Brand Black Mini Dress for Silly ‘SNL’ Promos Ahead of First Hosting Gig

The superstar will be handling both hosting and performing duties on the Oct. 18 episode.

Allie Hayes

Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter / Rosalind O'Connor/NBC via Getty Images

Sabrina Carpenter is hosting Saturday Night Live for the first time tonight, and fans can’t wait to see what the star has in store.

The Grammy Award-winning singer has been dominating 2025 pop culture conversations, thanks to the release of her latest album, Man’s Best Friend, and her feature on the titular track of Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl. Adding to her killer year, the superstar was also announced as a headliner for Coachella 2026—a feat she quite literally manifested.

And this weekend, she checks yet another massive accomplishment off her list: acting as both the host and the live musical guest on the Oct. 18 episode of SNL, and if the promotional content we’ve received for her show so far is any indication, fans are in for a treat.

Glam & styling

The superstar stopped by the iconic New York City studio ahead of tonight’s show to shoot several promotional videos, and her styling for the content was pure Carpenter goodness.

Wearing an incredibly on-brand black satin mini dress with a classic 1960s boatneck-style neckline, the piece was expertly cinched at her waist, with the skirt stopping just above her knees. The look was completed with a tongue-in-cheek reference to her album title, with a photo of a sweet pup plastered on the front and topped with a bright red bow for some festive flair.

Carpenter’s blonde tresses were styled in glorious waves with her signature curtain bangs parted to the side to switch things up. Her glam was equally gorgeous, with matte skin, strong brows, pink cheeks and a nude lip acting as the perfect complement to her ensemble.

Promotional videos

In the video, the artist could be seen with SNL cast member Marcello Hernández, whom she’d worked with previously when she appeared in the viral “Domingo” sketch after the actor had referenced her hit 2024 song “Espresso” in a previous sketch on the show. Hernández also famously made a cameo appearance during Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet Tour as the character.

The two banter back and forth in the clips, wondering aloud if anyone is watching the promos while “doing their dishes” before cheering them on as motivation (personally, I pretended they were motivating me to finish this article, and it honestly worked quite well—thanks, guys!). They also referenced Carpenter’s tour, and joked about their mutual fear of dentists...and honestly, their on-screen chemistry was wild? Put these two in a romantic comedy stat!

But those weren’t the only promos for her episode, with the show also releasing a hilarious Sex and the City-inspired teaser that saw the singer embodying full Carrie Bradshaw energy—and just like that, I also need to see Carpenter play the role in a full-length sketch tonight.

Everything to know for tonight’s episode

Carpenter will be hosting SNL for the first time tonight, Oct. 18. The show will air live on both NBC and Peacock beginning at 11:30 p.m. ET.

As mentioned above, the artist will simultaneously be acting as the musical guest on the show, performing at least two numbers—likely from her latest album—so be sure to tune in for all the laughs and catchy songs!

More Lifestyle & Celeb:

feed

Published
Allie Hayes
ALLIE HAYES

Allie Hayes is an experienced pop culture staff writer and editor specializing in movies, TV and celebrity news. Before joining the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit team as a Breaking/Trending News Editor, she worked at several outlets including BuzzFeed, The Daily Dot, and Newsweek. When she’s not writing for work (or writing for fun), you’ll find her curled up on the couch reading yet another romance novel, obsessively watching pro wrestling with her friends, or taking blurry photos of her two adorable cats.

Home/Fashion & Beauty