NBC’s plans for Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary extend far beyond an anniversary special (although that’s certainly part of it).
The network announced today that it’s throwing a “seven-month long party” to celebrate SNL, including a November election special, new holiday specials, a documentary series, multi-part music specials, and a comedy special at Radio City Music Hall.
The live, 3-hour SNL50 Primetime Special will air as part of a “celebratory weekend” on Sunday, February 16, 2025 from 8-11pm ET. The show—and red-carpet event—will “welcome stars of past and present to 8H,” according to the network.
The special falls in the middle of Saturday Night Live’s upcoming 50th season—though technically falls eight months short of the 50-year anniversary of its premiere on October 11, 1975.
The last time viewers were treated to an SNL anniversary special was for the show’s 40th. SNL40 aired the same weekend in 2015. Featuring dozens of celebrity appearances and clocking in at three-and-a-half hours, that special proved to be NBC’s most-watched primetime entertainment program since the series finale of Friends in 2004.
Saturday Night Live finishes up its 49th season with back-to-back episodes the next two weekends. Maya Rudolph hosts tomorrow, and Jake Gyllenhaal hosts the season finale on May 18.
