HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — Matt Iseman, the famed host of the incredible hit show “American Ninja Warrior,” will fire the starter’s pistol on March 17, 2026, to officially begin the First Ever 23rd Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade® in downtown Hot Springs.
“Having Matt as our 2026 official starter will add a level of excitement to this 23rd edition of our wonderful little parade,” Visit Hot Springs CEO and parade founder Steve Arrison said. “He’s known around the world as one of the guys who brings amazing fun to this enduring hit show.”
“Life is short, do what makes you happy.” That’s the advice Iseman received from his father, a world-renowned physician, when Matt quit medicine to pursue his dreams in entertainment. Those words continue to guide him today as he talks to ninjas, entertains audiences around the world and, in general, proves that laughter is the best medicine.
Best known as the host of NBC’s three-time Emmy Award-nominated hit
competition series, “American Ninja Warrior,” which just wrapped its
17th season, he and his co-host, Akbar Gbajabiamila, also hosted the 2017 and
2018 “Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular,” which aired on NBC. In
2018 and 2019, he hosted History’s “Evel Live,” specials, which honor
legendary daredevil Evel Knievel.
Iseman has served as a host for Peacock’s live coverage of the Summer 2021 and Winter 2022 Olympics and returned to the role for the 2024 Paris Games, for which he won an Emmy as part of the Gold Zone Coverage.
In 2017, Iseman won Season 8 of NBC’s “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” with host Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he raised over $1 million for the Arthritis Foundation. His ongoing battle with rheumatoid arthritis transformed him into a strong supporter for the foundation.
He was also the host for A&E’s “Live Rescue,” which follows the lives of first responders around the country as well as the spin-off series, “Rescue Cam.” Most recently, Matt regularly features the resident game show host on NBC’s “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
You could also find Matt entertaining audiences as a celebrity guest on the hit shows, “Lip Sync Battle,” “Hollywood Game Night” and “25 Words or Less.”
As a stand-up comic, Iseman has appeared on “Comics Unleashed” and is a regular on the L.A. comedy club circuit. He’s appeared on “Premium Blend” on Comedy Central, “The Greg Guttfeld Show” and as a guest co-host on “Today.”
A Denver native, Iseman graduated with honors from Princeton University and the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he received his medical degree. He returned home to the University of Colorado for his residency in internal medicine. Then, in a move that shocked patients and parents alike, he quit his job as a doctor and moved to Hollywood to pursue stand-up comedy and never looked back.
Iseman joins multitalented entertainer Carmen Electra, who will serve as the celebrity grand marshal for the parade in downtown Hot Springs, and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders as parade standouts.
The parade celebration will begin Tuesday evening, March 17. The World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade® has brought worldwide attention to Hot Springs and helped expand the city’s reputation as a city that knows how to have fun.
It began in 2003 when Arrison and some friends sharing an adult beverage in an establishment adjacent to 98-foot Bridge Street came up with the idea of using the street as the location for some fun. Bridge Street was named by Ripley’s Believe It or Not as the world’s shortest street in everyday use. The parade swiftly gained attention around the globe for the hilarious premise that gave birth to its annual aura of spectacular hilarity. Upwards of 30,000 people are expected to gather in downtown Hot Springs for the 2026 parade.
It annually features a lineup of outrageous wackiness that includes a troupe of Marching Irish Elvis Impersonators, the World’s Largest Leprechaun, zany floats and marching units, plus a surprise or two.
For more information contact Steve Arrison at 501-321-2027.