Stranger Things season 5 release schedule and runtimes: When are new episodes out?

As the wait for Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 continues, we've officially been treated to a chilling new trailer that shows that the final battle for Hawkins is far from over.

The new dramatic footage shows Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) growing in strength and preparing to execute the last stages of his masterplan, and teases answers to the mystery of what the Upside Down actually is.

Meanwhile, although fan favourites Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) appear to be on good terms again, we're currently fearing for their lives after Steve is seen telling Dustin: "You die, I die."

One of the show's creators, Ross Duffer, recently revealed that all the finishing touches have been applied to the next three episodes, meaning they are now "locked" and ready for release (via Instagram).

He also offered some tantalising teases about each one, revealing that the fifth episode (titled Shock Jock) picks up "moments after" the fourth, so we won't be waiting long for answers on those Volume 1 cliffhangers.

Episode 6, Escape from Camazotz, is described as the "biggest" of the three, presumably in terms of action, with experienced blockbuster director Shawn Levy (Free Guy) stepping behind the camera.

If you're as excited as we are to find out, read on for everything you need to know about the Stranger Things season 5 release schedule, including all those lengthy runtimes and mysterious episode titles.

Want more from Stranger Things? Check out our season 5 review, or delve into the epic soundtrack that we'll be bopping along to for weeks to come.

Stranger Things season 5 episode runtimes

The Duffer Brothers revealed the runtimes for episodes 1-4 before release. There are some runtimes being reported for volume 2, but they're unconfirmed - so take them with a pinch of salt.

Here's what we're looking at so far:

Volume 1

• Chapter One: The Crawl - 1 hour and 8 minutes
• Chapter Two: The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler - 54 minutes
• Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap - 1 hour and 6 minutes
• Chapter Four: Sorcerer - 1 hour and 23 minutes

Volume 2

• Chapter Five: Shock Jock - reportedly 1 hour and 17 minutes
• Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz - reportedly 58 minutes
• Chapter Seven: The Bridge - reportedly one hour and 37 minutes

The finale

• Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up - 2 hours and 5 minutes

Stranger Things season 5 release schedule

Stranger Things season 5 will be released in three parts. Volume 1 is out now and was released on 26th November (27th November in the UK due to time zones).

Volume 2 will follow on 25th December (26th December, Boxing Day in the UK) and the finale will be here on 31st December (1st January, New Year's Day in the UK).

That means the release schedule is as follows:

Volume 1

• Chapter One: The Crawl - 26th November (27th November in the UK) - out now
• Chapter Two: The Vanishing of... - 26th November (27th November in the UK) - out now
• Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap - 26th November (27th November in the UK) - out now
• Chapter Four: Sorcerer - 26th November (27th November in the UK) - out now

Volume 2

• Chapter Five: Shock Jock - 25th December (26th December in the UK)
• Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz - 25th December (26th December in the UK)
• Chapter Seven: The Bridge - 25th December (26th December in the UK)

The Finale

• Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up - 31st December (1st January in the UK)

Stranger Things season 5 release time

Usually, Netflix releases arrive at 8am UK time, but Stranger Things season 5 will buck this trend, with episodes dropping at 1am GMT.

Here's what time that works out to some time zones around the world:

• 2am CET (Central Europe)
• 10am JST (Japan)
• 5pm PST (United States)
• 8pm EST (United States)
• 12pm AEDT (Australia)

Netflix also has a comprehensive list of when the episodes will be released depending on which country you're in.

What will happen in Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 and the finale?

While the Duffer Brothers have kept tight-lipped about what to expect from the next episodes, including who might meet their demise. However, recently speaking to RadioTimes.com, the pair did offer up a clue about how things are going to end.

Matt Duffer explained: "There's a sense of inevitability. When you're looking at shows that don't work, or the endings that don't work, it is when it feels like sometimes the shows are trying too hard to surprise fans or do something different.

"So we want it to feel very much in line with the show and the endings for each of the characters to feel inevitable. That's what we're striving for."

We're also going to see a lot more of Vecna's memories, with the Duffer Brothers calling that thread their new "Russia storyline" (indicating that a fair amount of time is going to be spent with our big bad).

Meanwhile, the pair also teased that volume 2 might not be as bloody as some have come to expect.

Asked whether volume 2 will get "bloodier", Matt Duffer told Variety: "I’ve said this before: The show is not Game of Thrones. I’m hoping it surprises people. But there’s no Red Wedding, if that’s what you’re asking. That would be depressing."

Stranger Thing season 5 volume 2 premieres on 26th December 2025.

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