A finale so big, Vecna’s probably sweating. 

A Finale So Big, Even Vecna Might Be Sweating

If you’re not ready to say goodbye to Hawkins just yet, breathe easy — because the Stranger Things finale isn’t just big.
It’s supersized, blockbuster-level, New Year’s Eve–shaking big.

Netflix has officially revealed the runtime for the highly anticipated final chapter of the cultural phenomenon:
a massive 2 hours and 5 minutes — a feature-length, edge-of-your-seat farewell to the Upside Down.

A New Year’s Eve Event: One Night, 500+ Theaters, One Last Trip to the Upside Down

Stranger Things 5 finale episode runtime confirmed - Capital

To mark the end of an era, the finale will also hit the big screen with limited fan screenings across more than 500 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, beginning Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. PT.

The screenings will sync perfectly with the episode’s global Netflix premiere, creating a coast-to-coast countdown to the show’s final showdown — running through Jan. 1, 2026, so fans can literally ring in the new year with Hawkins’ last stand.

Fans can check out locations and secure tickets by visiting ST5Finale.com.

Inside Season 5: Hawkins 1987 — Scars, Secrets, and a Hunt for Vecna

Stranger Things 5 launched viewers into the fall of 1987, dropping us into a Hawkins still reeling from the Rifts’ devastating opening. With the world cracking at its edges, the core group reunited around a single mission:

Find Vecna. Kill Vecna. End this nightmare once and for all.

There’s only one problem:

“But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown,”
the official synopsis teases.

Meanwhile, the government has locked Hawkins under military quarantine, escalating a fierce pursuit of Eleven that forces her back into hiding. And as the anniversary of Will Byers’ disappearance approaches, that eerie, suffocating dread begins to creep in again.

Darkness is rising.
The clock is ticking.
And the finale promises something more dangerous — and more deadly — than anything before.

To defeat it, they’ll need the entire party.
Every hero. Every friend. Every ounce of courage.
Standing together one last time.

A 125-Minute New Year’s Eve Finale? Your Plans Have Officially Upgraded

Whether you’re watching with friends, at a midnight screening, or curled up at home, the 125-minute finale is set to turn New Year’s Eve into the biggest, most emotional sendoff Hawkins has ever seen.

Fireworks?
Forget it.
This finale is the fireworks.

Where the Season Stands Now

The first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 are streaming now on Netflix.

Three additional episodes drop on Christmas Day.

And then, on New Year’s Eve, comes The Finale — the final chapter in the saga that defined a decade.

Want to see release times in your region?
Netflix has you covered here.

Think you know the Upside Down inside and out?
Put your fandom to the test with the official Stranger Things superfan quiz.