NEW YORK — As the curtain falls on 2025, Saturday Night Live is already looking toward a massive start for the new year. During the final episode of the current year—a star-studded holiday affair hosted by Ariana Grande—NBC announced that Stranger Things breakout star Finn Wolfhard will make his hosting debut on January 17, 2026. Joining him in the hallowed halls of Studio 8H is Grammy-nominated rapper A$AP Rocky, who will serve as the musical guest.
The announcement marks a significant cultural moment for both stars. For Wolfhard, the hosting gig serves as a victory lap following the conclusion of one of the most successful television series in history. For A$AP Rocky, the performance coincides with the highly anticipated release of his long-delayed fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb.
A “Stranger” Transition: Finn Wolfhard’s New Chapter
The timing of Wolfhard’s hosting duties is no coincidence. Just weeks before his January 17 appearance, Netflix will release the series finale of Stranger Things on December 31, 2025. The 125-minute finale is expected to be a global television event, concluding nearly a decade of the “Upside Down” phenomenon.
Wolfhard, who was just 13 years old when he first appeared as Mike Wheeler, has grown up in the public eye. While the end of the series marks the close of a major chapter, the 22-year-old actor is leaning into his legacy rather than running from it. In a recent interview with Variety, Wolfhard reflected on the transition.
“The way for me to sort of advance in my life and my career is not to try to replace the show. It’s to try to really embrace it,” Wolfhard said. “Because to fight it would be the wrong thing to do, because then you’re forgetting where everything started.”
Wolfhard is no stranger to the world of SNL. Earlier this year, he portrayed an NBC page in Jason Reitman’s feature film Saturday Night, which chronicled the chaotic 90 minutes leading up to the very first SNL broadcast in 1975. Having played a fictionalized version of the show’s history, Wolfhard will now step onto the stage as himself, joining the ranks of former Stranger Things co-stars David Harbour and Winona Ryder who have previously hosted.
Fans are already speculating on whether Wolfhard will bring his musical sensibilities to the show. As a member of the bands Calpurnia and The Aubreys, the actor has a deep appreciation for the medium. In a 2024 interview with People, he expressed a desire to revive the “Underground Rock Festival” sketch—a fan-favorite bit featuring Jason Sudeikis and Nasim Pedrad as low-budget festival promoters.
A$AP Rocky: The Long-Awaited Return of “Flacko”
While Wolfhard handles the monologue, A$AP Rocky will be providing the soundtrack. The Harlem-born rapper is scheduled to release his new album, Don’t Be Dumb, on January 16, 2026—exactly one day before the SNL premiere.
The album has been the subject of intense speculation and numerous delays over the last several years. Originally teased as early as 2022, the project was pushed back due to sample clearance issues, leaks, and Rocky’s personal life—specifically the birth of his and Rihanna’s third child in 2025.
Rocky’s SNL performance will likely feature his recent singles, including “Highjack” and “Ruby Rosary.” Discussing the creative process behind the album, Rocky highlighted his penchant for unexpected collaborations, such as featuring folk singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt on the track “Highjack.”
“I like to do things that don’t make sense,” Rocky told Variety. “Nobody would have thought to put Jessica Pratt on that, but I think her voice is so angelic… She makes me want to be like a secret songwriter; I should probably get into writing folk songs.”
The performance marks Rocky’s first time as a solo musical guest, though he previously made a cameo during Donald Glover’s (Childish Gambino) hosting stint in 2018.
A Night of Farewells and New Beginnings
The announcement of the 2026 premiere came at the end of an emotional night for the SNL family. The December 20 holiday episode was the final show for Emmy-nominated cast member Bowen Yang, who officially departed the series after eight seasons.
Yang, who joined the show as a writer in 2018 before becoming a cornerstone of the cast, bid a tearful farewell during a final sketch alongside Ariana Grande and Cher. His exit follows a significant “mid-season shakeup” that saw several other cast members depart earlier in the year, leaving the show in a state of transition as it enters the second half of its 51st season.
By selecting a young, multi-talented host like Wolfhard to lead the first episode of 2026, SNL appears to be leaning into a new era of talent.
What to Expect: January 17, 2026
The pairing of Wolfhard and Rocky promises a high-energy broadcast that bridges the gap between Gen Z television stardom and prestige hip-hop. Viewers can likely expect:
- Stranger Things Spoofs: With the series finale fresh in the minds of audiences, a parody of the Hawkins crew is almost a certainty.
- Music-Centric Sketches: Given both Wolfhard and Rocky’s musical backgrounds, “Digital Shorts” or musical sketches are highly anticipated.
- The Return of Favorites: With several new featured players recently joining the cast, the January premiere will serve as a testing ground for the show’s next generation of stars.
As the industry prepares for the series finale of Stranger Things on New Year’s Eve, the January 17 episode of Saturday Night Live stands as the first major milestone of the 2026 entertainment calendar.