The countdown to the end of Stranger Things has officially begun.
During Netflix’s Tudum 2025: The Live Event, cast members Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, and Noah Schnapp took the stage, later joined virtually by Millie Bobby Brown and Gaten Matarazzo, to unveil the release schedule for the show’s long-awaited final season.
Season 5 will roll out in three parts across the holiday season:
- Part 1 (Episodes 1–4): November 26, 2025
- Part 2 (Episodes 5–7): December 25, 2025
- Finale (Episode 8): December 31, 2025
Each volume will drop at 5 PM PT, and yes, that finale will land right in time for New Year’s Eve.
Watch the Date Announcement
What to Expect in the Final Season
Set in the fall of 1987, the final chapter finds Hawkins fractured and under military lockdown following the opening of the Rifts. Vecna has vanished without a trace, and Eleven is once again in hiding as the government intensifies its pursuit.
As the anniversary of Will Byers’ original disappearance approaches, the town braces for what could be the last and deadliest confrontation yet. The stakes are higher than ever, and the series promises a final stand that brings the full crew back together for one more fight.
Who’s Returning?
The core cast is back for the endgame, including:
- Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
- Finn Wolfhard as Mike
- Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas
- Noah Schnapp as Will
- Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin
- Winona Ryder as Joyce
- David Harbour as Hopper
- Sadie Sink as Max
- Joe Keery as Steve
- Natalia Dyer as Nancy
- Charlie Heaton as Jonathan
- Maya Hawke as Robin
- Priah Ferguson as Erica
- Brett Gelman as Murray
- Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna
- Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay (new role)
Other returning faces include Cara Buono, Amybeth McNulty, Jake Connelly, Alex Breaux, and Nell Fisher.
A Global Phenomenon Nears Its End
Since its debut in 2016, Stranger Things has become one of Netflix’s defining franchises, blending supernatural suspense, government conspiracies, and ‘80s nostalgia into a pop culture powerhouse.
The series has racked up more than 70 awards and hundreds of nominations, while Season 4 alone pulled in over 140 million global views. Along the way, it helped revive everything from Dungeons & Dragons to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.”
In its final year, Stranger Things continues to branch out. The franchise now includes an animated spinoff, a line of companion novels, immersive fan experiences in Brazil and Australia, and the Broadway prequel play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which opened in April 2025.
And yes, Stranger Things Day (November 6) is still very much a thing — celebrated annually by fans to mark the day Will Byers first disappeared.
Series Details:
- Created by: The Duffer Brothers
- Produced by: Upside Down Pictures & 21 Laps Entertainment
- Executive Producers: The Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen
- Season 5 Premiere: November 26, 2025 (Netflix)
- Total Episodes: 8, released in three volumes