Noah Kahan performed on Saturday Night Live on May 9, appearing as musical guest alongside host Matt Damon for the second-to-last episode of Season 51. It was his second SNL appearance overall, following a December 2023 debut.
Kahan performed "Doors" and "The Great Divide," both tracks from his fourth studio album, The Great Divide, which came out April 24 on Mercury Records. The album debuted at number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom. According to Billboard, the US debut marked the best first-week sales for a rock album in more than a decade.
The 17-track record was produced by Gabe Simon and Aaron Dessner of The National. It has drawn wide critical praise as a significant step forward in Kahan's work.
In the weeks leading up to the SNL appearance, Kahan kept a busy promotional schedule. He delivered a stripped-back Tiny Desk performance featuring "American Cars," "The Great Divide," and "Paid Time Off," alongside the fan favorite "Orange Juice" from his previous album. He also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to discuss the new record.
Kahan was also named to TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2026 and attended the TIME100 Gala, where he was honored by Mumford and Sons frontman Marcus Mumford. Mumford wrote that Kahan "brings us closer to our humanity in the same way some of the great '60s folk songwriters did: pairing lyrics set in a particular space and time with traditionally infused pop melodies like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell at their best."
Kahan recently launched a Netflix documentary, Noah Kahan: Out of Body, which premiered at SXSW 2026 and received the 24 Beats Per Second Audience Award. The film covers his rise to stadium-level popularity and addresses his ongoing struggles with anxiety and body dysmorphia.
His Great Divide World Tour includes four sold-out nights at Fenway Park in Boston, making him the first artist to play and sell out four shows at the venue. Additional dates are scheduled in London, Dublin, Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland.
Kahan's first SNL appearance in December 2023 featured "Dial Drunk" and "Stick Season," from his breakthrough album We'll All Be Here Forever. That album's title track "Stick Season" peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him two Grammy nominations.
SNL Season 51 closes next week with Will Ferrell hosting and Paul McCartney as musical guest.
