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When will ‘Stranger Things 5’ finale drop? Netflix’s biggest sci-fi showdown will be available in theaters

The series finale will see the Losers unite to put an end to Vecna's dangerous plan to remake the world

The stage is set for the ultimate battle between the Losers of Hawkins and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) in 'Stranger Things' Season 5. Volume 2 of the beloved sci-fi series reveals Vecna's twisted plan to remake the world and shows the gang leaving no stone unturned to stop it from becoming reality. With the stakes higher than ever, fans are now left wondering when the final episode of the hit show will finally air.

The series finale of 'Stranger Things' will air on New Year's Eve, Wednesday, December 31, at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, officially kicking off the end of season 5 and the conclusion of the show, as per USA Today. Moreover, there will be limited theatrical screenings of the finale, which will have a runtime of 2 hours and 5 minutes, and will be released in more than 500 theaters. The theatrical release also aligns with the episode's global debut on Netflix, and continues through Thursday, January 1, 2026. Fans can visit ST5Finale.com for participating locations and ticket details, as announced by Tudum.

Celebrating the milestone, creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer shared, "We're beyond excited that fans will have the chance to experience the final episode of 'Stranger Things' in theaters, it's something we've dreamed about for years, and we're so grateful to Ted, Bela, and everyone at Netflix for making it happen," adding, "Getting to see it on the big screen, with incredible sound, picture, and a room full of fans, feels like the perfect, dare we say bitchin', way to celebrate the end of this adventure."

The creator duo also reveals that while they always knew the show's final scene, the path to that ending evolved. Explaining their approach, Matt shared, "To keep it secret? Well, we didn't shoot multiple endings. I don't know how anyone has the time to do something like that just to trick people," adding, "We had a really good security team, and they did their best to keep the paparazzi away." He also revealed, "The finale script was printed on red paper, but just the finale, because it's annoying to get red scripts," prompting Ross to joke, "It's hard to read," as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Matt continued, "And then we just really limited the distribution, all of which makes it more difficult in some ways, but we just had to take extra precautions," while Ross stressed, "What we really wanted to protect was the finale." He praised the team's efforts in keeping Kali’s return under wraps, noting, "I'm impressed with our team for protecting the Kali reveal because Linnea [Berthelsen] was on set with us for months. So that was impressive."