Stranger Things 5 Premiere

Stranger Things 5 (Volume 1) premieres tomorrow, Wednesday, November 26, 2025.

Unlike previous seasons that dropped at midnight, Netflix is releasing this season during primetime in the US.

Release time for volume 1

• Pacific Time (PT): 5:00 PM

• Eastern Time (ET): 8:00 PM

• UK (GMT): 1:00 AM (Thursday, Nov 27)

• Central Europe (CET): 2:00 AM (Thursday, Nov 27)

Full season 5 release schedule

The final season is split into three parts (8 episodes total).

Note for International Viewers: Because of the evening release time in the US, fans in Europe, Asia, and Australia will technically get the episodes in the early morning of the following day (e.g., Volume 1 arrives Thursday morning, Nov 27).

* * *

Season 4 recap

Here is the recap of exactly where everyone stood at the chilling end of Season 4 to get you ready for the premiere tomorrow.

As the credits rolled on Season 4, the “victory” against Vecna was bittersweet and incomplete. The group had converged back in Hawkins, but they lost the battle to keep the gates closed.

The Casualty: Max Mayfield

Max is the biggest question mark going into tomorrow’s premiere.

• What happened: She technically died for one minute, which allowed the fourth and final gate to open. Eleven managed to restart her heart from inside the void, but the damage was done.

• Where we left her: She is in a coma at Hawkins Memorial Hospital, with broken limbs and blinded eyes.

• The scary part: When Eleven tried to enter Max’s mind in the void to find her, she found only darkness and silence. No one was there. Lucas was last seen reading to her by her bedside.

The Reunion: Eleven, Hopper, & Joyce

The emotional high point was the reunion at Hopper’s battered cabin.

• Hopper & Joyce: They successfully escaped the Russian prison (and the Demogorgons) and made it back to Hawkins.

• Eleven: She has her powers back. After “piggybacking” into Max’s mind from a pizza dough freezer in Nevada, she returned to Hawkins and finally reunited with Hopper. They are currently hiding out at the cabin, which the kids were helping to repair.

The Fallen Hero: Eddie Munson

• Status: Deceased.

• What happened: Eddie stopped running. He sacrificed himself in the Upside Down to distract the Demobats, buying the others time. He died in Dustin’s arms.

• Aftermath: Dustin gave Eddie’s guitar pick necklace to his uncle, Wayne Munson, promising him that Eddie fought to save a town that hated him. The town, however, still believes Eddie was a murderer and cult leader.

The Threat: Will & Vecna

• Vecna (Henry/001): He was badly burned by Molotov cocktails (courtesy of Nancy, Steve, and Robin) and shot out of the Creel House window, but his body disappeared. He is alive.

• Will Byers: As soon as he returned to Hawkins, he got the “goosebumps” on the back of his neck. He confirmed to Mike that he can still feel Vecna and knows he is hurting but not dead. Will warned that Vecna is “not observing anymore” but wants to take everything.

The Final Scene

The season ended with the entire group standing on the hill overlooking Hawkins. The four gates had torn through the ground, causing what the media called a massive “earthquake.”

As they looked out, spores and ash from the Upside Down began falling like snow on the real world, signaling that the barrier between dimensions has officially collapsed.