On what date did SNL's 50th anniversary special air?

SNL's 50th anniversary special aired on February 16, 2025. Broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock, it commemorated five decades of Saturday Night Live with an unusually expansive live-style event.

The program ran for roughly three and a half hours with commercials, far longer than a typical SNL episode. Its format included a cold open, monologue, sketches, commercial parodies, musical performances, and archival or retrospective material celebrating the show's history.

The date is sometimes confused with the anniversary season's other major events. SNL's original premiere aired on October 11, 1975, while the anniversary concert took place on February 14, 2025. The special itself was the Sunday broadcast on February 16.

The lineup brought together current performers, former cast members, hosts, musical guests, and celebrity supporters. Among the featured appearances were Steve Martin, Tina Fey, John Mulaney, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Paul McCartney, and Paul Simon. The event was reported to have attracted nearly 15 million viewers across NBC and Peacock.