SNL season 51: Is Saturday Night Live on tonight? Details explored

SNL season 51 continues tonight with a schedule wrinkle that answers the big question in the headline. On Saturday, October 25, 2025, there is no new live episode of Saturday Night Live because SNL season 51 is taking a planned dark week after three straight premieres. NBC will keep the time slot active with a repeat instead, airing SNL season 51 premiere, Season 51, Episode 1, hosted by Bad Bunny with musical guest Doja Cat.

The encore runs at 11:30 pm ET on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.

The next fresh instalment of SNL season 51 arrives on November 1 and will be led by host Miles Teller with Brandi Carlile as musical guest.

Expect a short breather as the studio resets between runs, a cadence SNL season 51 follows early each fall, then returns with a new trio of November shows.

Is SNL on tonight?

Yes, but SNL season 51 is airing a repeat rather than a new live broadcast.

NBC’s schedule lists the October 25 slot as a rebroadcast of the October 4 premiere, which is Season 51, Episode 1 with host Bad Bunny and musical guest Doja Cat.

The network typically programs one to three consecutive originals to launch a season, then pauses a week before the November run.

Viewers can still tune in at 11:30 pm ET on NBC or stream the encore the next day on Peacock.

Who is hosting SNL tonight (October 25, 2025)? Explained

Tonight’s host is Bad Bunny via the encore of SNL season 51’s premiere, with Doja Cat as the musical guest. Saturday Night Live opened Season 51 with Episode 989 on October 4, 2025.

Bad Bunny returned as host for a second time and fifth overall appearance, while Doja Cat made her show debut with AAAHH MEN and Gorgeous.

Five newcomers joined the cast: Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska, as refreshed credits dropped the 50th-season branding. Cameos included Jon Hamm, Benicio del Toro, and HUNTR/X.

The cold open paired Colin Jost’s Pete Hegseth with James Austin Johnson’s Trump. Standouts ranged from a "ChatGPTio ad" to a "Jeopardy sketch" with Bad Bunny as a confused contestant, plus Inventing Spanish with a del Toro pop-in and a K-pop Demon Hunters bit.

On Weekend Update, Kam Patterson debuted, and Bowen Yang’s Dobby returned.

It was the latest fall premiere since 2003 and the first without new Please Don’t Destroy shorts, with Ben Marshall moving from the writers’ room into the cast.

What’s next for SNL season 51?

SNL season 51 fires back with fresh shows on November 1 2025. Miles Teller hosts, and Brandi Carlile is the musical guest. The run carries on November 8 with Nikki Glaser in her first turn as host and Sombr as a first-time musical guest.

Then November 15 brings Glen Powell as the host with Olivia Dean performing. That three-week stretch keeps SNL season 51 on its familiar fall tempo and nudges the season toward a big marker as the 1000th episode draws near.

New episodes air live on NBC at 11:30 pm ET. The next day, streaming lands on Peacock. Expect steady faces at the desk with Michael Che and Colin Jost. Kenan Thompson anchors the cast as the veteran presence.

The rest of the lineup blends returning players and new featured voices as the show finds its mid-autumn groove.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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