Stranger Things finale adds more theaters, reaching 620+ locations as fan screenings draw over 1.1 million RSVPs for New Year’s Eve and Day events.
The theatrical rollout for the Stranger Things series finale is getting even bigger. What began as a limited fan-focused screening event has now expanded into a massive North American footprint, with more locations added ahead of its year-end debut.
Originally announced in late October as a special fan event set for more than 350 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, the finale screenings were scheduled for December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026. By the time reservations opened in early December, the number of participating theaters had already climbed to more than 500. Now, series creators the Duffer Brothers have revealed that the total has grown to over 620 locations.
Along with the expanded reach comes overwhelming fan demand. According to Ross Duffer, more than 1.1 million fans have already RSVPed for the finale screenings on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. He also shared that over 3,500 showtimes across the 620-plus theaters are completely full, underscoring just how eagerly audiences are anticipating the final chapter of the hit Netflix series.
The finale is playing not only at the major theater chains like AMC, Regal, and Cinemark, but also across a wide range of additional exhibitors, including Harkins, Megaplex, Cineplex, Alamo, and Landmark. While many showings are already sold out, some locations — including several in Los Angeles — are still listing availability, with numerous screenings marked as “almost full.”
Unlike traditional theatrical releases, the Stranger Things finale screenings are not ticketed events due to talent residual complications tied to TV series distribution. Instead, fans reserve seats for a fee — such as $20 at AMC — which is then converted into a concession voucher. As a result, there will be no box office totals, making admissions the primary metric for measuring the event’s success.
When compared with other recent fan-driven theatrical events, the Stranger Things finale is already performing strongly. Its admissions are ahead of where KPop Demon Hunters stood two days before its theatrical opening, though still behind Demon Slayer…Infinity Castle. It’s worth noting that the Stranger Things theatrical window is much shorter, running just over a day from 5 p.m. PT on December 31 — the same time the finale drops globally on Netflix — through January 1.
The large theatrical turnout will not be counted toward Stranger Things 5’s Netflix viewership totals. While the season is still expected to surpass 100 million views in its first 90 days and land on the streamer’s Top 10 list, the exclusion of the two-hour-and-five-minute finale from streaming metrics could slightly impact overall numbers.
The Duffer Brothers have hinted that they plan to experience the finale alongside fans in theaters themselves. As Ross Duffer wrote, it’s a fitting way to end the journey: closing out a ten-year run together, on the big screen.
