Virgin River will return for a seventh season on Netflix in early to mid-2026, it’s now been confirmed, following the release of season 6 in December 2024, which proved to be one for the history books. Bookended by the long-awaited wedding between Jack and Mel, the series continues to be incredibly popular on Netflix.
What can you expect from Virgin River season 7, and when will it be streaming? Below, we’ve rounded up everything we know so far, including new casting details, production updates, season 8, and an update on the spin-off. Here’s what we know as of August 2025, including the recently confirmed episode titles.
Just to recap, Virgin River first debuted in late 2019 and is now one of Netflix’s longest-running drama series. It has a strong track record of being renewed ahead of its latest season’s release, and season 7 followed suit. On October 23rd, 2024, we exclusively revealed that Netflix had renewed the show for a seventh season, accompanied by a video featuring much of the main cast celebrating the news.
How well did Virgin River Season 6 perform on Netflix?
Thanks to the Netflix global top 10s, we can see how the series is performing so far as of its first few days on the platform (week 1, as we’ll call it). It debuted as the number one English-language series on December 16th, picking up 67.7 million hours watched, equivalent to 8.1 million views. As of the time of updating, the show has now featured in the top 10 for 4 weeks, picking up 213 million hours watched, equating to 25.6 million views. You can dive deeper into the stats on Virgin River using our tool.
How does that stack up against previous seasons? Not bad, is the answer. While the show is experiencing a notable decline in viewership, it’s not to the point of cancellation. We suspect that when the show ends, it’ll be on the showrunners’ own terms.
When will Virgin River Season 7 be on Netflix? When will the new season begin filming?
Unlike some previous seasons, production in the next season isn’t getting underway as quickly as usual. The team aims to avoid the harsh winter months in late 2024 and return to Canada (where the show has filmed since season 1) in the Spring. Tim Matheson confirmed this filming start date back in November when he stated in an interview that filming would be underway in March 2025.
Subsequent production lists indicated that filming would commence in Vancouver on March 12, 2025, and conclude on June 26, 2025. Season 7 is expected to consist of 10 episodes once again.
The official show’s Instagram confirmed on March 13th that filming was underway on its eighth season, with the caption: “Virgin River is back in production for season 7!!!”
Pictures: virginriverseries / Instagram
Andy Mikita is the first confirmed director on season 7, set to direct the first two episodes. Mikita has been with the show since season 1, with eight credits (soon to be 10) under his name. We can also confirm that Audrey Cummings will be making her Virgin River debut for season 7. The film and TV director has previously worked on titles like My Life with the Walter Boys, Ginny & Georgia, and Place of Bones. As we’ve also covered, other directors this season include old-timers Monika Mitchell, Ruba Nadda, and Felipe Rodriguez.
We also first reported that Virgin River will be doing something new for the series: going abroad.
Following the team behind the show sharing pictures that filming had wrapped up in mid-to-late June 2025, we got word that some of the team, mainly Mel and Jack, were heading to Mexico for a stint of filming. It’s expected to be their honeymoon, and some of the set pictures that have been revealed give us some potential spoilers about where the story is heading next…
When will Virgin River season 7 release on Netflix?
2026 is the answer. It became clear in mid-2025 that a late 2025 release for Virgin River would be a stretch, and as the year winds down, it became increasingly apparent that the show had been pushed into 2026.
That was confirmed by Ted Sarandos (and, to a lesser extent, Alexander Breckenridge) who both stated a broad 2026 return. Our current guess is sometime in the Spring, near when season 8 heads into production.
What to Expect from Virgin River Season 7
Five Main New Cast Members
As first revealed by Deadline, Netflix is adding two more faces to the Virgin River cast going into season seven. Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries) and Cody Kearsley (Riverdale) have been recruited into recurring roles this season
Per the trade, Canning will play the role of Victoria, described as “an ex-cop who was shot in the line of duty and is now working for the state medical board as an investigator. She comes to Virgin River to investigate Doc’s practice but runs into a friend whom she wouldn’t mind catching up with…or maybe more.”
Kearsley will be playing the role of Clay, described as having “experience working the rodeo circuit, so there’s also a tough athletic quality to him. He grew up in the foster care system with his younger sister, whom he hasn’t seen since he was a teenager. He’s been looking for her ever since.”
Additionally, it’s reported that Matthew Harrison will be on board to play the role of Dr. Wilson and Matty Finochio (The Order, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) is on board to play Tony.
The other major casting addition to Virgin River season 7 is Austin Nichols (One Tree Hill, The Six Triple Eight), who we’ve confirmed with Netflix will be appearing in season 7. His role, however, remains a mystery.
More Flashbacks in Season 7
In early May 2025, Callum Kerr unexpectedly posted on Instagram that he was on the set of Virgin River season 7. We say unexpectedly because the next time we’d expect him to be playing the role of Everett would’ve been in the long-awaited spin-off. His inclusion in season 7 suggests that the spin-off is no longer happening.
@callum_kerr_1 on Instagram
Mel and Jack
After six seasons, the main couple of the series are finally married. Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith has already teased that we will see the couple in their new house, living the “farm life.” Although there won’t be a time jump at the beginning of Season 7, we will pick up just a couple of hours after the final episode ends, and the new property is far from being done.
The couple stayed almost entirely away from the topic until the very last minute of the final episode.
Marley Thurston, the young pregnant woman who intends to give up her baby for adoption to Phil and Darla, informs Mel that the couple may be backing out of the adoption. She wants to give the baby to Mel and Jack. If the plan for season 7 involves Mel and Jack expanding their family, Marley could be the perfect solution. This would allow the couple to bond with Marley before the baby boy’s arrival. Given their previous miscarriage and the difficult journey the newlyweds have faced so far, a more straightforward adoption process would be a welcome change for them.
Virgin River. (L to R) Tim Matheson as Doc, Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe in episode 6010 of Virgin River. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2024
Breckenridge spoke to Deadline about what she hopes for from her character in season 7, saying, “I just hope that I don’t have to cry about too many things cause that’s always difficult.”
Charmaine and the Twins
Martin Henderson mentioned that he asked for directions while filming the final scene of season 6 to better express his reaction to what he saw in the twins’ room. However, he was informed that they hadn’t written or decided anything when the scene was filmed in May.
In Season 6, the hairdresser obtained a restraining order against Calvin. Calvin wanted to be involved in the twins’ lives, especially since Charmaine had sole custody. One possible theory is that an altercation occurred between Calvin and Charmaine, leading to the drug dealer kidnapping the twins. The storyline could involve many characters from the show, highlighting one of its main themes: the community coming together when one of its members needs help.
Preacher and Kaia
The fire chief stood unwaveringly by Preacher’s side during the trial. The couple’s storyline does not end on a cliffhanger this season. Kaia is reconsidering her initial decision never to get married again after her first failed marriage. Season 7 promises to bring love to the firefighter and the best chef in town.
Brie, Brady, Mike and Lark.
After a conversation with Brady, during which he tells Brie that she will always be the one for him, Brie decides that she wants to commit to Mike, who is, as described by her, a good guy. In the end, Mike proposes to Brie, even though he admits that he knows she cheated on him with Brady.
It seems the love triangle will become even more complicated next season. The show might be hinting that Brie and Brady could be endgame, just like Mel and Jack. Brie could accept Mike’s proposal, but her tumultuous feelings for Brady will likely remain unresolved unless she acts on them. The lawyer could also take Mel’s advice to let both men go; she will need to do some soul-searching and confront her own feelings and demons. This is especially important given that she still needs to process her trauma from her rape and work on her healing.
Brady is entering another intense season as he searches for Lark and attempts to recover his money. Although he initially wanted to open a motorcycle shop in honor of his uncle, he could consider a career as a firefighter rather than just volunteering, which would be a fitting part of his character’s ongoing redemption storyline.
Hope and Doc
Doc’s medical license was suspended following an investigation. The primary reason behind this is that Grace Valley plans to expand its network into Virgin River and intends to push Doc out of the picture because they want the clinic for themselves. However, with Hope’s creative ideas and Mel by his side, Doc is determined not to go down without a fight. Although he may not practice at the clinic for a few episodes, it is already clear that his career is far from over.
Season 6 introduced us to Roland, Hope’s ex-husband. Season 7 could provide more background on Hope and her past, particularly regarding her controlling husband and the challenges she faced during their marriage.
Picture: Netflix
Lizzie and Denny
As Season 6 concludes, Lizzie is eight months pregnant. The couple didn’t have much screen time during this season, and their story doesn’t end with a cliffhanger. We will likely witness the birth of their daughter, hopefully at Mel’s renowned birth center, and we’ll probably discover whether the baby girl has Huntington’s disease. It’s clear that we won’t see their wedding, as the couple has committed to taking their relationship slowly.
Everett Reid
Now that he has established a meaningful relationship with his daughter and reconciled with Doc, it would be great to see Everett getting out and about in Virgin River. It would be nice for him to immerse himself in the community and interact and bond with other characters beyond just Mel, Jack, and Doc.
Episode Titles
In early August 2025, we revealed the 10 episodes for the forthcoming season. We went in-depth into what each could mean in our full guide here, but as a reminder, the episode titles (in alphabetical order) are as follows:
Writers on season 7 include Erin Cardillo, Richard Keith, Tesia Joy Walker, Thomas Ian Griffith, Mary Page Keller, Ildiko Susany, Jackson Sinder, Rachel Borders, Becky Hartman Edwards, and Patrick Sean Smith.
Will there be a season 8 of Virgin River? What about the spin-off?
Of course, there’s plenty more Virgin River content on Netflix now. The two choose-your-own-adventure games are currently available on iOS and Android, although the potential prequel spin-off series looks to be on ice. We say that because it seems unlikely the series will now get given the go-ahead, given the inclusion of Callum Kerr in Season 7. Netflix confirmed to us in April that a spin-off hadn’t been greenlit yet, but didn’t say whether it had been ruled out entirely.
Beyond that, showrunner Patrick Sean Smith has also teased additional spin-offs, telling TVInsider subsidiary Swoon, “It’s a rich world with rich characters. Putting romance forward feels like there’s a ton of potential. And that’s to Robyn Carr’s credit. Each book focuses on a different couple. And what Sue Tenney did very smartly was take characters from the first couple of books and then put them into an ensemble. But, I mean, there’s huge potential. It’s a great story engine.”
In January 2025, we reported that early discussions were underway for Season 8, but there was no definitive word on whether the show would return just yet. Benjamin Hollingsworth, who plays Dan Brady, says that the showrunner is already discussing ideas for an eighth season. Alexandra Breckenridge also said during a podcast with Katee Sackhoff that Netflix wants the show to continue for a long time, adding that she’s currently contracted for eight seasons.
In July 2025, we received official word from Netflix that the series would indeed be returning for another 10-episode season. No word on whether it’d be the last.
The writer’s room opened on the next season in October 2025 and we got word, courtesy of a charity listing, that production is aiming for a start in April and run through July 2026.
Alexandra Breckenridge’s New Netflix Project
While waiting for Virgin River to return, we will be treated to a new project starring Breckenridge later this year. She’s appearing alongside Ryan Eggold, Tia Mowry, Madison MacIsaac, and Diana Maria Riva in the movie My Secret Santa, due out on December 3rd. The plot is as follows: “A vivacious single mom in need of a job decides to disguise herself as a man in order to get hired as the seasonal Santa at a luxury ski resort. But when she starts to fall in love with the hotel manager, complications develop that could ruin everything.”
Are you looking forward to season 7 of Virgin River? Let us know in the comments section below.
