SNL 50: Featuring Kim Kardashian, Sabrina Carpenter, and a Host of Other Stars
Saturday Night Live has announced a star-studded lineup for its 50th anniversary special, featuring guests such as Kim Kardashian, Sabrina Carpenter, Miley Cyrus, and numerous more celebrities.
NBC revealed the initial roster of guests for this celebratory event on Friday, February 7, which will air live from Studio 8H on Sunday, February 16.
Kardashian returns to the iconic show after her memorable hosting stint during season 47 in October 2021, joined by fellow former hosts Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, Dave Chappelle, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, and Woody Harrelson. The show’s esteemed Five Timers Club will see appearances from John Mulaney, Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Tom Hanks.
Scarlett Johansson, another Five-Timer, will join her husband and Weekend Update anchor Colin Jost for the event, likely leading to more humorous jabs from Jost’s co-anchor Michael Che.
Expect to see some of Saturday Night Live‘s most unforgettable musical guests in attendance too, with performances from Carpenter and Cyrus alongside Bad Bunny, Paul McCartney, and Paul Simon.
The 50th anniversary celebrations commence on Friday, February 14, at Radio City Music Hall with SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, which will be streamed live on Peacock.
This event will honor the show’s notable musical history, featuring performances by Bad Bunny, Backstreet Boys, Chris Martin, Cyrus, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, and Post Malone, along with classic acts like Bonnie Raitt, the B-52s, and the iconic Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
More celebrity and musical guests for both SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and NBC’s 50th-anniversary show will be unveiled in the coming days.
Creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels, 80, has kept further details regarding the anniversary show under wraps, much like he did during the 40th special in 2015.
Years of speculation have surrounded Michaels’ potential retirement following the 50th season, with him mentioning former SNL star Tina Fey as a likely successor for 2024.
“It could easily be Tina Fey, but you know, there are a lot of people who are there now,” he told Entertainment Tonight, adding: “She’s a very important person in my life.”
Michaels confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter in September 2024 that he has no “immediate plan” to step down, affirming: “I just know that this is kind of what I do and as long as I can keep doing it, I’ll keep doing it.”
Michaels founded Saturday Night Live as a replacement for NBC’s reruns of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1975. The beloved comedy series has since earned an impressive 101 Emmy Awards throughout its history.
In 1980, Michaels and the cast left Saturday Night Live, leading to Jean Doumanian taking over as executive producer for season six. Doumanian lasted less than a season due to lackluster reviews and ratings, before Dick Ebersol stepped in in 1981.
Ebersol guided SNL through the early ’80s before departing in 1985, at which point NBC was considering canceling the show. Michaels agreed to return for the 11th season, and he remains in that role today.
The intense pressures surrounding SNL‘s launch were depicted in the 2024 film Saturday Night, which dramatized the 90 minutes leading up to the premiere episode on October 11, 1975. Gabriel LaBelle received praise for his portrayal of Michaels in director Jason Reitman‘s film.
SNL50: The Anniversary Special will commence on Sunday, February 16, with a live red carpet event at 7 p.m. ET on E!, NBC, and Peacock, followed by the main show at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
