After a long, anticipated wait, Netflix has confirmed a release date for Stranger Things season five.
The final season is being split into three volumes, with the first four episodes set to arrive on 26 November. The next three episodes will release on Christmas Day (25 December), while the finale arrives on 31 December.
The release date confirmation was one of the many announcements to come out of the 2025 Netflix Tudum event.
The news was shared at the event by cast members Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp, who also introduced a new trailer teasing the final showdown between the Hawkins crew and Vecna.
The final season will pick up in the autumn of 1987, 18 months after the devastating events which destroyed the town of Hawkins in season four part two.
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Despite being able to defeat Vecna, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the gang were unable to prevent him from opening the portal between the Upside Down and Hawkins. Vecna's actions led to the unleashing of monstrous horrors, foreshadowing new and even tougher battles for the show's final outing.
The official synopsis for season five reads: "The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown.
"Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread.
"The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time."
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Further details are still under wraps, however, in a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mike Wheeler actor Wolfhard teased what to expect.
"This last season is sort of a crossroads, and so we're getting back into a lot of the dynamics of season one, which is really fun," said Wolfhard.
"There are some 'leader Mike' moments, and it's a very grand season, obviously. Every season has gotten bigger and bigger, and this one is huge, but it's also kind of isolated as well."
Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are streaming on Netflix. Season five premieres on 26 November. Stranger Things: The First Shadow is now booking until 7 September 2025 at the Phoenix Theatre in London. Tickets are available now.
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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
