Who are the musical guests confirmed for Saturday Night Live Season 50?

Saturday Night Live returns to it screens this month and the first musical guests have been confirmed for the first five episodes of the comedy sketch show which this year is celebrating it’s 50th season.

SNL 50 kicks off on Saturday 28th with many of the favorite cast members returning for a landmark new season - one which involves the culmination of a presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, giving scriptwriters plenty of material to work with between now and the US general election on 5 November.

The musical guests for the first five episodes have already been announced - some veterans of the show, some making their debuts and one returning four decades after her last appearance.

Jelly Roll: 28th September

Setting the mood in the premiere episode will be Jelly Roll who will be taking a break in his Beautifully Broken nationwide tour to make his first appearance on SNL. Jelly Roll (real name: Jason DeFord) scooped three awards at the 2024 CMT Music Awards back in April and is still promoting his most recent album Whitsitt Chapel, released last year.

The country singer took to Instgram to deliver the news: “The premiere of the 50th season of SNL. BRB going to cry for a few hours and call every family member I have. Bringing therapeutic music to my favorite show ever. God is Good”.

Coldplay: 5th October

From an SNL newbie to seasoned vets - Coldplay will be supplying the musical entertainment for the 5th October episode. Chris Martin and Co. first graced the SNL stage in episode 16 of Season 26 on 7 April 2001 when they performed Yellow and Don’t Panic, both cuts from their debut album Parachutes. They were asked back four years later and have made a total of seven appearances - the last of them, on 4 February 2023, when they were joined by Jacob Collier and the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers.

The band hit the road this fall with 11 dates in a sell-out tour of Australia and New Zealand, part of their Music of the Spheres world jaunt which resumes in the New Year. There is also a new album, Moon Music which drops on 4 October and accompanying single We Pray.

Stevie Nicks: 12 October

Fleetwood Mac fans were thrilled by the announcement that singer Stevie Nicks would be making a return for episode 3. Christine McVie’s death last year definitively scuppered any chances of a Fleetwood Mac reunion and while the band never appeared on SNL, frontwoman Stevie Nicks did.

She debuted in episode 8, the Christmas show of Season 9 on 10 December 1983, singing two songs from The Wild Heart LP - Stand Back and Nightbird.

Billie Eilish: 19th October

Another SNL old hand, Grammy and Academy Award winner Billie Eilish is the musical guest for 19th October. She has appeared on the show numerous times - as a musical guest and as host. Her first appearance was on 28 September 2019 in which she belted out her singles Bad Guy and I Love You accompanied by her brother Finneas O’Connell.

She doubled up as host for her next appearance in episode 8 Holidays special in Season 47 which aired on 11 December 2021.

Billie is about to go on the road with her Hit Me Hard and Soft world tour, which starts in Quebec on 29 September to promote her new album.

Chappell Roan: 26th October

The final musical guest to be confirmed is Chappell Roan (real name: Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) who like Jelly Roll will be performing on SNL for the first time.

Her debut album, The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess, is packed with catchy pop anthems, was well received by critics and reached No.2 in the US Billboard charts and No.1 in the UK albums chart.

She picked up the Best New Artist award at the recent MTV Video Music Awards after delivering an electric performance of her latest single, “Good Luck, Babe”.

The date for Saturday Night Live’s season 50 premiere episode will air Saturday 28 September at at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC as well as several several live TV streaming services such as Peacock, Sling TV and Fubo.