With just two weeks to go before Saturday Night Live marks its 50th anniversary with what NBC has billed as “a celebratory weekend,” details have begun to emerge about the event that’s set to kick things off, a live homecoming concert at Radio City Music Hall two days before the NBC show airs its three-hour primetime anniversary special.
We’ll be updating this page as more information is revealed.
What Is SNL50: The Homecoming Concert?
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert is a live event celebrating the artists who’ve appeared on the legendary sketch over the years.
The concert has been planned for over two years.
SNL creator and EP Lorne Michaels first discussed the event publicly in June 2023, describing it at the time as “kind of [a] homecoming night. It will have musical acts and stand-ups. Throughout the show, musical things that the cast have done over 50 years will be live.”
Where and When is SNL50: The Homecoming Concert Happening?
The concert is being held at Radio City Music Hall on February 14th, 2025—Valentine’s Day.
Radio City, of course, is just across the street from NBC’s New York headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which has been home to the show since its premiere in 1975.
Is SNL50: The Homecoming Concert the Same as SNL50: The Anniversary Special?
No, the homecoming concert will be staged two days before the anniversary special. It’s been described as “a kickoff event” for the show’s celebratory weekend.
With limited time on the anniversary show itself, the homecoming concert will allow SNL to give its musical legacy its proper due. Its staging at Radio City Music Hall will also open up the in-person celebration to far more people, since seating capacity at the anniversary special itself (which will broadcast from Studio 8H) will be extremely limited.
Who’s Producing SNL50: The Homecoming Concert?
As with all things SNL, Lorne Michaels is ultimately responsible for the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, but with music being the centerpiece of the event (and the SNL creator presumably having his hands full producing the show’s anniversary special two days later), Michaels has tapped Oscar-winning music super producer Mark Ronson to co-executive produce the event.
Fun fact: Ronson has performed on SNL three times himself, in collaborations with Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga. (Two of his three collaborators are already confirmed to be performing at the concert—see below.)
Producing the show for Broadway Video is Erin David; supervising producers are Ken Aymong and Rob Paine; Caroline Maroney is also on board as producer.
Directing the telecast will be Beth McCarthy-Miller, who directed SNL from 1995-2006.
Who Will Be Performing at SNL50: The Homecoming Concert?
Around two dozen artists who’ve appeared on the show since its premiere in 1975 are expected to perform, including Arcade Fire, Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, Dave Grohl, David Byrne, DEVO, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Post Malone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, The B-52s, and The Roots.
But that’s not all: SNL has built much of its reputation on surprises, and organizers are promising that the concert will have its fair share, teasing unbilled “legendary Saturday Night Live hall-of-famers and surprise special guests.”
Who’s Hosting SNL50: The Homecoming Concert?
Jimmy Fallon is confirmed to be the show’s emcee. The Tonight Show host, of course, rose to fame at Saturday Night Live where he was a cast member from 1998 to 2004. He’s musically gifted himself, with some of his most memorable SNL appearances involving music. He’s even released a pair of comedy music albums.
How Can I See SNL50: The Homecoming Concert?
In addition to being performed in front of a live audience at Radio City Music Hall, the event will be streamed live on Peacock on Friday February 14th at 8pm ET/5 pm PT.
As LateNighter first reported, the show will also be beamed to select Regal IMAX theaters nationwide. NBC says theaters in five states will be participating: California (Regal Edwards Ontario Palace), Pennsylvania (Regal UA King of Prussia), Texas (Regal Lone Star), New York (Regal Deer Park), and Florida (Regal South Beach).
Why won’t the concert be aired live on NBC? In 2023, Michaels told reporters the show would “probably be streamed because the language won’t be in control, and it will take as long as it takes.”
How Can I Get Tickets to SNL50: The Homecoming Concert?
It’s not clear whether any in-person tickets for SNL50: The Homecoming Concert will be available to the general public, but with a capacity of 6500, one would think some seats at Radio City Music Hall would be reserved for fans.
Some VIPs are said to have received invites to the concert last fall (no plus-ones), and a batch of tickets were also sold (at $250 a piece) to select Capital One cardholders. (Capital One is one of the show’s keystone sponsors in its 50th season.)
As for the fan screenings at select Regal Cinemas IMAX theaters, NBC says free tickets for the IMAX fan screenings will be made available exclusively for current Fandango FanClub, Regal Crown Club members, and IMAX subscribers at a later date,
We’ll update this article if/when more details emerge.
It was also announced that Jimmy Fallon is hosting.