Stranger Things season 5 episode 1 is technically dropping two weeks early, but there’s a catch

• Netflix to hold free late-night screenings of Stranger Things season episode 1 in London, UK, on November 13
• Two late-night screenings are scheduled but fans will be selected at random
• Viewers can apply for the ballot using the ApplauseStore ticket portal

If you live in or near London, there's never been a better time to be a Stranger Things fan. Netflix has revealed that it will be holding an exclusive late-night screening of Stranger Things season 5 episode 1, titled 'Chapter One: The Crawl,' on November 13 – two weeks before its global debut.

In a central London location, there will be the option of two screenings on the night, starting at 10:15pm and 12:30am, respectively. Tickets are free, but are "extremely limited," according to the streamer.

However, it's not as easy as just rocking up on the day or battling it out in a typical Ticketmaster-style queue. To be eligible, fans will need to enter the ticket ballot via ApplauseStore using the promo code 'ST5FANS' to even be considered.

Fans will then be randomly selected from the draw, so choose which screening you'd prefer and hope for the best. Sadly, the opportunity is for over-18s only.

My advice? Make sure you've made an ApplauseStore account first (and activated it) before trying to use the promo code. If you don't, you're going to get held up each time you try and put it in.

For everyone else, the existing Stranger Things season 5 release schedule still stands

Stranger Things 5 | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

Watch On

There's not-so-good news for the rest of us – or those who aren't selected, who will have to wait until the original Stranger Things season 5 premiere date of November 26.

In case you've forgotten, the hit show's three-part release schedule, this is what you can expect over the next two months:

• Season 5 volume 1 – November 26 / 27; comprises episodes 1 to 4
• Season 5 volume 2 – December 25 / 26; includes episodes 5 to 7
• Season 5 volume 3 – December 31, 2025 / January 1, 2026; only contains the finale

Each of these volumes will release at 5pm PT, so mark your calendars now.

But what to expect? As Netflix tells us, "The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding.

"As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time."

If you are lucky enough to make it into the advance screening, it will be worth your while – episode 1 alone is 68 minutes long.

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