Virgin River season 7 release rumored to be delayed until 2026

Cameras start rolling on the new season this spring.

Virgin River. Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe in episode 610 of Virgin River
Virgin River. Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe in episode 610 of Virgin River | Cr. Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix © 2024

Even though there was overwhelming happiness in Virgin River with Mel and Jack's wedding at the end of season 6, there's a bit of bad news we have to share with fans. Yes, the beloved Netflix romantic drama will be back with another season, but the streamer has now hinted that Virgin River season 7 might not arrive until 2026.

On Jan. 30, Netflix unveiled its exciting lineup of content set for release in 2025, including new movies and show, documentaries, games, and of course, its most popular original series. The likes of Stranger Things, Wednesday, Nobody Wants This, Ginny & Georgia, Squid Game, and more were officially confirmed to premiere this year (and some even got release dates!).

Unfortunately, Virgin River season 7 wasn't featured on the lengthy list of Netflix shows coming this year. Instead, it's included on the shorter list of shows that will most likely release in 2026. Since the most recent season dropped toward the end of December 2024, it's not surprising that season 7 could come a bit later than we'd like, but there's still hope for the show to return sooner!

Virgin River. (L to R) Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela, Zibby Allen as Brie Sheridan in episode 609 of Virgin River
Virgin River. (L to R) Marco Grazzini as Mike Valenzuela, Zibby Allen as Brie Sheridan in episode 609 of Virgin River | Cr. Craig Minielly/Netflix © 2024

Virgin River season 7 starts filming in March 2025

Back in November, right after the season 7 renewal and ahead of the season 6 release, Doc Mullins actor Tim Matheson revealed in an interview Anna Daly that Virgin River season 7 would begin filming in March 2025. That's a bit later than the previous season, as season 6 started filming in February 2024 and later wrapped production in May 2024.

According to UBCP/ACTRA, a Canadian union for performers, filming on Virgin River season 7 commences on March 12, 2025 and ends on June 26, 2025. Again, the season wraps production one month later than production's wrap on season 6, which likely pushes everything else back by at least one month. All that to say, it's a very tight squeeze to get Virgin River back again by December 2025.

Still, Brady actor Benjamin Hollingsworth is still holding out hope that fans will be able to enjoy the series once again during the holiday season. In a recent interview with USA Today, Hollingsworth shared his expectation for the upcoming season's release, though it's worth noting that he also mentioned that he hasn't heard any official updates from Netflix on the release timeline.

"I'm hoping (producers) will do the same kind of thing over Christmas. I think it's great watch over Christmas holidays."

If Netflix opts to do another split season, as the streamer slightly opted for with the release of Virgin River season 5 (and more specifically with other hit series), there's a chance that at least part of season 7 could find its way to our watch lists by the end of the year. But for now, it's probably best to accept the fact that all of those cliffhangers won't be resolved until 2026.

Stay tuned for more Virgin River news and updates from Netflix Life!