Survivor 48 is in full swing on Wednesday nights on CBS and Paramount+! At Surviving Tribal, we've been covering Survivor for a long time, but we know some of the newer fans (and some of the old ones, too) have some important questions about where and when this particular season of the hit series hosted by Jeff Probst.
Over the 24 years of production, Jeff and the Survivor team have filmed seasons on five continents (Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, and North America), along with many island nations, as well. For a third of the series, though, Survivor has been filmed in the same place where Survivor 48 was filmed: Fiji. And, we expect that will be the case for a long time, too!
Where was Survivor 48 filmed?
More specifically, Survivor 48 is filmed on Fiji's Mamanuca Islands, which have been the home of Survivor for the last 16 seasons. Starting with Survivor: Millenials vs. Gen X (season 33), the series moved production to Fiji and hasn't left for another location since then.
We've seen 15 Survivor winners crowned in Fiji, most recently Survivor 47's Rachel LaMont, and we know that 16th winner is in the Survivor 48 cast.
Prior to Survivor 48, CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti ventured to Survivor's production hub on the Mamanuca Islands to watch the beginning of Survivor 48, speak with Jeff Probst about their home in Fiji, and get to know the lay of the land.
In Fiji, Jeff told CBS News that there are 400 employees who work and stay on the Mamanuca Islands months ahead of production. He also revealed that 400 Fijians work on the show, bringing the total number of employees to about 1,000 from the California offices all the way out to the island.
Despite being a massive TV production, it still feels like you're right there with the players.
"It's a great trick, because when you're watching Survivor, it does feel intimate, and it is," Jeff said. "When the tribes are on the beaches, there's just a small handful of crew there and producers. When you get to a challenge or Tribal Council, there's cameras everywhere."
New seasons of Survivor are filmed in the late spring and early summer out in Fiji. Most of the time, they film back to back to make the best use of the cost and resources. For Survivor 48, production started in the summer of 2024 shortly after Survivor 47 filming ended.
Filming in Fiji will continue through at least Survivor 50
Survivor 49 and Survivor 50 will also be filmed on the Mamanuca Islands.
We're expecting Survivor will stay in Fiji for longer than Survivor 50, but right now, CBS is on the hook for at least two more seasons of Survivor through the 50th anniversary of the show's premiere. We all know that's going to be a massive season.
Recently, CBS revealed that there will be a fan component for Survivor 50, as well. In addition to fans voting on Survivor 50 elements and twists, CBS is flying five lucky fan tribes (friends and family) to Fiji for an all-encompassing look at production on Survivor 50. More details to come, but it's going to require friends and family to team up for a video about what Survivor has meant to their "tribe" over the years.
We'll share more information about Survivor 50 when we find out! For now, enjoy Survivor 48 on CBS and Paramount+ on Wednesday nights!