See Sabrina Carpenter, Emma Stone, Kim Kardashian, and More in SNL50’s Best Sketches

On Sunday evening, Saturday Night Live marked its 50th anniversary with an unforgettable night of live comedy, music, and nostalgic tributes. The three-hour-long special, SNL50: The Anniversary Special, brought together an all-star lineup of SNL legends, celebrity guests, and musical artists, proving once again why the show remains a cultural institution.

Comedy icons like Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell, and Kristen Wiig made appearances, alongside former hosts including Tom Hanks, Emma Stone, Robert De Niro, and Scarlett Johansson. Below are some of the night’s most memorable sketches and moments, packed with unexpected cameos and hilarious performances.

Emma Stone kicked off the night by introducing the concept of physical comedy, only to be hilariously interrupted by Molly Shannon’s beloved character, Sally O’Malley—a 50-year-old woman who still “kicks, stretches, and kicks!”

Fred Armisen revived The Lawrence Welk Show parody, featuring Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson, Ana Gasteyer, and Kristen Wiig as the Maharelle Sisters, with Wiig’s Dooneese stealing the scene. Will Ferrell later joined as Robert Goulet, making the skit even more iconic.

Another standout moment saw Sabrina Carpenter teaming up with Sarah Sherman, Ego Nwodim, and Heidi Gardner for a comedic song about monogamy, set to Wicked’s “Defying Gravity.” The performance was, of course, humorously disrupted by Marcello Hernandez’s Domingo—soon joined by his brothers, played by Pedro Pascal and Bad Bunny.

A touching tribute to the late Sinéad O’Connor featured Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard performing a heartfelt rendition of Nothing Compares 2 U. The segment was introduced by actress Aubrey Plaza, in her first public appearance since the passing of her husband, Jeff Baena.

In a return of Kate McKinnon’s Close Encounter sketch, she portrayed an abductee sharing bizarre extraterrestrial experiences with Pedro Pascal and Woody Harrelson. The trio recounted their hilarious misadventures to investigators Jon Hamm and Aidy Bryant—before a surprise cameo from Meryl Streep as McKinnon’s mother stunned the audience. Despite her legendary career, Streep has never hosted SNL—a fact that made her unexpected appearance all the more special.

Finally, John Mulaney’s New York Musical proved to be one of the most star-studded sketches of the night. Featuring an ensemble cast that included Maya Rudolph, Cecily Strong, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Driver, Nathan Lane, Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, and many more, the musical sketch was a fitting tribute to the city that has been home to SNL for five decades.