- A weekend of Saturday Night Live events are in the works
- A four-part SNL documentary is confirmed to air in January too
- SNL 50th Anniversary episode to air in February 2025
The Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special is just a few weeks away.
What’s more, details of what we can expect from this celebration of all-things sketch have started to make their way online.
First airing on NBC in 1975, Saturday Night Live is the brainchild of series creator and long-time producer Lorne Michaels. Billed as a show that doesn’t go live because it’s ready, it goes live because it’s 11.30pm, Saturday Night Live has since become a key part of comedy culture.
In the five decades since its debut, it’s given us countless comedy icons – from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Kristen Wiig and many, many more.
With 2025 marking its 50th anniversary – and the show’s 50th season already in full swing – we can surely expect big things from this hugely important year for a hugely important show.
In fact, the first half of the series has already seen the return of key players from previous seasons, with Maya Rudolph playing Kamala Harris and Dana Carvey taking on President Joe Biden. We’ve even seen the welcomed return of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone’s (AKA The Lonely Island) much-loved digital shorts.
However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. In February 2025, the Saturday Night 50th Anniversary Special will drop – and it’s bound to be full of even more surprises.
What else do we know about it? Read on for all the key information we have so far…
When is the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary show on?
A three-hour Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special will air on Sunday, February 16 2025 between 8pm and 11pm Eastern time on NBC and Peacock.
The show’s arrival marks a slight difference in its typical air time, with Saturday Night Live technically becoming Sunday Night Live for one night only.
According to NBC, this three-hour extravaganza will be the “crown jewel of a big weekend of events highlighting the trailblazing sketch series’ rich history.”
Other Saturday Night Live programming will be scheduled, with the channel teasing “a weekend-long look back at the late-night sketch series.” However, at the time of writing, nothing official has been released.
Is there a trailer for the Saturday Night Live 50th celebration?
Yes – the first teaser trailer for the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special made its way online in late November. Watch it above.
While short and sweet, the teaser featured snippets from the show’s iconic saxophone-led theme tune while showing crewmembers building a shiny new ‘SNL 50’ sign.
Confetti can be seen showering down across the show’s iconic Studio 8H in the heart of New York City’s Rockafeller Centre.
Who is hosting the SNL’s 50th anniversary special?
As it stands, no one person has been announced as the host of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary show. However, this special episode will likely see many different famous faces host different segments of the show.
This format was used for Saturday Night Live’s 40th anniversary special in February 2015, with many iconic celebrities and former cast members taking on host duties.
Typically, the series has one primary host who also appears in various sketches throughout each episode. These are usually people who have a new movie, album or sporting event to promote.
Politicians are also known to occasionally host episodes and appear in sketches. Those who front the show more than five times enter its fictional ‘Five-Timers Club’ which includes actors like Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and Melissa McCarthy.
It’s unclear whether SNL’s 50th special will include an appearance from the members of this elite group. That said, considering that 50 is quite a big birthday, we’re expecting the show’s creators to pull out all the stops and include as many famous faces as they can.
As soon as more host and cast details are revealed, you’ll find them here.
SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night Docuseries
In December 2024, it was revealed that Peacock will launch a four-part Saturday Night Live docuseries in January 2025 to kick-start celebrations.
Entitled SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, the show will boast over 60 different interviewees spanning previous SNL favourites. It also promises to go deep on various elements associated with the show, like the audition processes, its writers’ room and the show’s most memorable sketches.
According to Variety, the documentary series will give audiences “unprecedented access to the show’s archives and talent.”
SNL50: Beyong Saturday Night will be available to watch on Peacock from Thursday 16 January 2025.
Ladies and Gentlemen… 50 years of SNL Music documentary
In late December, it was announced that Questlove will direct a new documentary all about SNL’s storied musical performances. It will be debut on NBC on Monday 27 January at 8pm ET/PT before streaming on Peacock a day later.
Over the years, the show has hosted performances by a huge array of bands, performers and artists – from Lady Gaga and Chappell Roan to David Bowie, Nirvana and Billie Eilish.
The show’s musical legacy will be captured in Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, which is set to air on NBC.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, “Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music” directed by Questlove and Oz Rodriguez, will premiere Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, and stream the next day on Peacock pic.twitter.com/VYa84r6njB
— Saturday Night Network (@thesnlnetwork) December 19, 2024
The feature will form part of Saturday Night Live’s wider 50th anniversary celebrations. It will last a whopping three hours and include unheard stories and exclusive interviews with musicians, cast members, writers and producers.
Stars confirmed to appear include Elvis Costello, Miley Cyrus, Dave Growl, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, Mick Jagger, Duo Lipa, Tom Morello, Justin Timberlake, Paul Simon and many, many more.
“Everyone knows the most famous SNL appearances, whether it’s Elvis Costello, Prince or the Beastie Boys, but they’re the tip of a huge iceberg,” explained Questlove.
“The process of going back through the incredible archival footage was like being in a time machine, DeLorean or other. I’m so happy I went on the trip and now get to share it with everyone.”
