Stranger Things season 5 release date officially confirmed at Netflix's TUDUM

The final season of Stranger Things will be released in three volumes – with the next three episodes, Volume 2, set to be released on Christmas Day (Thursday 25th December) in the US and on Boxing Day (Friday 26th December) in the UK.

Fans won't have to wait too long after that for, Volume 3, the finale, which is scheduled to be out on New Year's Eve (Wednesday 31st December) in the US and on New Year's Day (Thursday 1st January 2026) in the UK.

The release date announcement came courtesy of a teaser trailer for the final instalment, which looks to be the most emotional yet.

In the season 5 date announcement video, you can see all the big moments from the first four series before we get a glimpse at what is to come as Stranger Things reaches what looks set to be an epic conclusion.

Watch it for yourself below:

The full synopsis for season 5 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.”

The final outing for Stranger Things has been a long time coming for fans, after season 4's dramatic finale aired all the way back in July 2022.

Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers in the series, did recently tease what fans can expect from season 5’s ending, saying: "People are going to be truly devastated.

"As sad as it was, I'm so excited to see the world's reaction to watching the finale because there's not going to be a dry eye; it's going to be sad. Not to be so negative, it is a really great season and people will love it."

As well as Schnapp, returning cast members include Sadie Sink, Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Natalia Dyer (Nancy), Maya Hawke (Robin), Joe Keery (Steve), David Harbour (Hopper), and Winona Ryder (Joyce).

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There will also be some new additions to the cast, including Linda Hamilton, whose casting was previously announced at another TUDUM fan event. She said at the time: "I don’t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time. I’m gonna work on that."

Other new cast additions include Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly and Alex Breaux, but details on their roles remain under wraps for now.

The new season will consist of eight episodes, with director Shawn Levy reportedly not being involved in as many episodes as in previous seasons.

Cast member Maya Hawke previously teased an epic fifth and final season, telling Podcrushed that the eight-part run is the equivalent of "eight movies".

"Season 4 and season 5 are very connected. Season 4 had a part 1 and part 2 because they separated them, so the last two episodes came out at a different time, which is unusual for streaming.

"But this is its own season. It is a continuation, but it's the finale. And it has been a long time since last season."

Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are available on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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