Season 51 of Saturday Night Live resumes on Saturday, January 17, 2026, ending its annual winter break. The first new episode of the year will be hosted by Finn Wolfhard, making his hosting debut, with musical guest A$AP Rocky. The show airs live at 11:30 PM ET / 8:30 PM PT on NBC and streams simultaneously on Peacock.
This return follows a two-week hiatus after the Christmas episode aired on December 20, 2025. That episode was hosted by Ariana Grande with musical guest Cher and served as the final show for longtime cast member Bowen Yang. During the break on January 3, NBC re-aired the November 1 episode hosted by Miles Teller with musical guest Brandi Carlile.
Episode 10 Details and Host Background
Finn Wolfhard steps onto the Studio 8H stage for his first time as host, a move timed closely with the recent series finale of Stranger Things, where he stars as Mike Wheeler. The actor has a previous connection to SNL’s world, having appeared in the 2024 film Saturday Night, which dramatized the show’s 1975 debut. Musical guest A$AP Rocky is also making his debut musical performance on the show. His appearance comes just one day after the scheduled release of his fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb.
“I loved working at SNL, and most of all I loved the people,” Yang wrote in a social media post confirming his exit. “I’m grateful for every minute of my time there… thank you to Ariana for sending me off in the dreamiest way I could imagine.”
Major Cast Changes for Season 51
The current season has seen the most significant cast turnover in recent years, marking a new chapter for the show. Ahead of the October premiere, five cast members from Season 50 departed: Heidi Gardner (8 seasons), Ego Nwodim (7 seasons), Michael Longfellow (3 seasons), Devon Walker (3 seasons), and featured player Emil Wakim (1 season). Their exits were followed in December by the departure of Bowen Yang, who left after seven years with the show.
Replacing them are five new featured players, all introduced in the season premiere on October 4. The new cast members are:
- Ben Marshall: An SNL staff writer and member of the popular digital trio Please Don’t Destroy.
- Tommy Brennan: A stand-up comic.
- Jeremy Culhane: A performer from the Upright Citizens Brigade and Dropout TV.
- Kam Patterson: A stand-up comic known from the Kill Tony podcast.
- Veronika Slowikowska: A social media comedian and actress.
Season 51 also introduced seven new writers to the staff: Jack Bensinger, Tucker Flodman, Maxwell Gay, Claire McFadden, Rachel Pegram, Jo Sunday, and Maddie Wiener.
Season 51 Recap and Upcoming Schedule
Season 51 premiered on October 4, 2025, with host Bad Bunny and musical guest Doja Cat. The season is notable as it is scheduled to air SNL’s historic 1,000th episode at some point during its run.
The first nine episodes of the season featured a mix of celebrities and SNL alumni:
- October 11: Amy Poehler (host) and Role Model (musical guest).
- October 18: Sabrina Carpenter as both host and musical guest.
- November 1: Miles Teller (host) and Brandi Carlile (musical guest).
- November 8: Nikki Glaser (host) and Sombr (musical guest).
- November 15: Glen Powell (host) and Olivia Dean (musical guest).
- December 6: Melissa McCarthy (host) and Dijon (musical guest).
- December 13: Josh O’Connor (host) and Lily Allen (musical guest).
- December 20: Ariana Grande (host) and Cher (musical guest).
Following the January 17 return, the show is expected to air new episodes on January 24 and January 31. However, the schedule will be interrupted for several weeks in February due to NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics. New episodes are currently slated to resume on February 28, 2026.
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How to Watch New and Old Episodes
For viewers in the United States, new episodes of Saturday Night Live air live on NBC and stream live on Peacock. They are available on-demand on Peacock after the live broadcast. Live streaming options also include services like fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV. While Hulu + Live TV carries the live broadcast, new episodes are not available for next-day streaming on the standard Hulu platform.
For fans looking to catch up, every episode from all 51 seasons of SNL is available to stream on Peacock.
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