Springwatch 2026 opened on May 25 on Two, beginning an eight-episode run that will unfold over three weeks from a new live location at National Trust Crom in Northern Ireland. For the first time, Northern Ireland is hosting the main Springwatch live hub, giving the long-running wildlife series a fresh base for its latest season.
Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan are guiding viewers through the brand-new season, which follows wildlife stories across the UK from the Northern Ireland site. The series uses live cameras, expert commentary and nature footage to track what is happening in the landscape as spring progresses. This year’s setting includes lakes, wetlands, forests and ancient woodland areas, all of which shape the material the programme will bring to viewers.
The move to Crom matters because it shifts the programme’s centre of gravity rather than simply changing the backdrop. Springwatch has built its appeal around live observation, and the first Northern Ireland hub gives the show a different set of habitats and seasonal conditions to work with. That also means the premiere is not just a return of a familiar format, but a fresh season built around a new part of the UK.
For viewers in the UK, the series is available to stream free through iPlayer after creating a account and confirming they hold a valid TV licence. International viewers may need a VPN to reach iPlayer, and those watching from Australia can use a trusted VPN to connect to a UK server and access the service without geo-restrictions.
The early question is not whether Springwatch 2026 has changed its look, but whether the Northern Ireland setting will give the wildlife series the kind of live moments that have always made it work. With eight episodes still to come, the new hub at Crom is the season’s defining change, and it will shape everything the programme can capture over the next three weeks.
