The final episode of Stranger Things season 5 will be released on Netflix on 31st December 2025 (1st January 2026 in the UK). The finale drops at 1am GMT, deviating from the usual 8am UK release time for Netflix shows.
Season 5 is being released in three parts. Volume 1 arrived on 26th November (27th November UK), and Volume 2 was released on 25th December (26th December, Boxing Day UK). The series finale concludes the battle against Vecna.
Creators Matt and Ross Duffer have assured fans that the ending will not be a 'Red Wedding situation' from Game of Thrones. Matt Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter: 'I think some things happen in the finale that are very surprising, but we’re not trying to shock or upset anyone. I hope by the time people get to the end of the finale that it just feels like there’s something inevitable about what happens, and that it doesn’t feel painful but feels satisfying.'
All episode runtimes have been confirmed by the Duffer Brothers. Plot details remain under wraps, but the brothers told RadioTimes.com that 'there's a sense of inevitability' about the ending. Matt added: 'When you're looking at shows that don't work, or the endings that don't work, it is when it feels like sometimes the shows are trying too hard to surprise fans or do something different. So we want it to feel very much in line with the show and the endings for each of the characters to feel inevitable.'
