The ‘Outer Banks’ stars confirmed that season 5 was in production on June 20

(L to R) CHASE STOKES as JOHN B, RUDY PANKOW as JJ, MADELYN CLINE as SARAH CAMERON, MADISON BAILEY as KIARA and JONATHAN DAVISS as POPE in episode 204 of OUTER BANKS.Credit : JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX© 2021

NEED TO KNOW

Outer Banks season 5 has officially started filming
The fifth season is the final installment of the beloved Netflix franchise
Season 5 of Outer Banks will premiere sometime in 2026

Outer Banks is officially gearing up for its fifth and final season!

Netflix confirmed that the hit show had begun filming on June 20. The streaming service released two group photos of the cast — Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Drew Starkey and Carlacia Grant. The two photos show the cast members laughing and posing while filming on a marsh outside Charleston, S.C.

“summer time and obx 5 is back in production 🤙,” Netflix captioned the Instagram photos.

The streaming service didn’t share a specific premiere date but confirmed that it will air sometime in 2026.

“We are over the moon to be setting out on one last trip with the Pogues,” creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke told Tudum in June 2025. “Being back on set with our cast for this final round is nothing short of bittersweet and surreal. We can’t wait to show everyone what we have in store this season — it’s going to be a wild ride.”

Burke and the Pate twins also teased the final episode of season 4, part 2, which premiered on Nov. 7. They shared that the feature-length episode, which included a jaw-dropping death, set the stage for an “epic” last season.

“We hope to bring our beloved Pogues home in the way we imagined and planned years ago,” they wrote to fans. “We hope you’ll join us for one more paddle out to the surf break.”

Here’s everything to know about Outer Banks season 5, including what the cast has said about saying goodbye to their characters.

What will Outer Banks season 5 be about?

Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey and Madelyn Cline in “Outer Banks”.Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Netflix has not released a synopsis for Outer Banks season 5, but Burke told Tudum that the Blue Crown treasure hunt “should carry us through all the way to the end.”

Beyond treasure hunting, fans will likely still be grieving the death of the beloved JJ, who was killed by his biological father, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane), in Morocco. The Pogues have vowed to avenge JJ’s death — a storyline that will likely play out in season 5.

Burke and the Pate twins told Tudum that they had always planned for JJ’s death, since the beginning of the series. “We’re planning a story of redemption, and a season that embodies the friendship that JJ had come to represent,” Josh said. “JJ’s death was a hard but necessary piece of the architecture for the story, and we plan on honoring that as much as we can because we love the character as much as the fans do.”

The final season of Outer Banks will also see John B and Sarah grapple with becoming parents after the “Kook turned Pogue princess” discovered she was pregnant in season 4, episode 7.

As for the series’ final scene, it was solidified years ago by the co-creators.

“We’ve always known from the beginning what the last scene would be if we would be lucky enough to get it that far,” Josh told the outlet in February 2023.

Which cast members are returning for Outer Banks season 5? 

Drew Starkey, Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey, Carlacia Grant, Austin North, Rudy Pankow, Madelyn Cline and Jonathan Daviss at the “Outer Banks” season 4 premiere.Jeff Hahne/Getty

Most of the Outer Banks stars are confirmed to reprise their roles, including Stokes, who plays John B.; Cline, who plays Sarah Cameron; Bailey, who plays Kiara Carrera; Daviss, who plays Pope Heyward; and Grant, who plays Cleo.

They will be joined by supporting stars Drew Starkey, who plays Rafe Cameron; Austin North, who portrays Topper Thornton; and Fiona Palomo, who plays Sofia.

After JJ’s shocking season 4 death, former main cast member Rudy Pankow will not return for Outer Banks season 5.

“I want to leave the cast and crew with the biggest thank-you. It’s been such a pleasure to come to work,” he told Tudum. “This is by far the biggest thing I’ve ever done in [my] experience, and to have this as my start is a start of a lifetime. I’m going to miss it. Thank you for so many fun memories I’ll have the rest of my life.”

What has the cast said about Outer Banks concluding with season 5? 

Chase Stokes and Charles Halford in “Outer Banks”.Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

With the end of Outer Banks on the horizon, the cast is coming to terms with saying goodbye to their beloved characters.

“My hearts heavy writing this one.. One last ride. Thank you to everybody who has tuned in these past 5 years. You’ve given us more than we could ever give back to you,” Stokes wrote on Instagram, addressing the news of a fifth and final season. “It’s always gonna be Pogues 4 Life.”

Outer Banks Season 4 Part 1 Ending Explained: Who Is JJ’s Real Dad and What’s Next for the Pogues?

As for Bailey, she was at a loss for words following the announcement.

“I don’t even have words, just a whole lot of feelings, but no goodbyes yet! Let’s do this thing,” she wrote on Instagram Stories.

When does Outer Banks season 5 start filming? 

Madelyn Cline, Chase Stokes, Jonathan Daviss and Carlacia Grant in “Outer Banks”.Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Production on Outer Banks season 5 began in June 2025. Netflix confirmed on June 20 that filming for the final season was underway.

When will Outer Banks season 5 premiere?

Jonathan Daviss, Chase Stokes, Carlacia Grant, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow in “Outer Banks”.Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Outer Banks season 5 will premiere on Netflix sometime in 2026. In the meantime, seasons 1 through 4 are available to stream on Netflix. And, Burke and the Pate brothers say the final season will be well worth the wait.

“We think it will be our best [season] yet,” the creators said in their letter to fans.