Cher’s return to Saturday Night Live was less “nostalgia cameo” and more full-blown main-character energy. The 78-year-old icon hit the December 20, 2025 Christmas finale as musical guest alongside host Ariana Grande, marking her first proper SNL musical slot since 1987 and turning the episode into an instant time-capsule moment for pop culture fans. The energy in Studio 8H felt like a crossover event between generations, with Cher proving she can still command a live stage like it’s her natural habitat.
Cher on SNL: The Opening Energy
Cher didn’t do the traditional opening monologue (that was Ariana’s job), but the setup of the episode clearly framed her as co-headliner energy from the cold open onwards. Grande’s monologue leaned into a playful, self-aware musical bit about sequels and holiday chaos, setting a festive, campy tone that Cher’s later appearances slid into perfectly.
From the moment Cher stepped on stage for her first performance, the vibe in the studio shifted — the recap footage shows the crowd erupting the second the lights hit her, with the atmosphere described as “electric” and “legendary Christmas finale energy”. Commentators noted that you could feel the room literally hold its breath during her biggest vocal peaks before exploding into applause.
Cher’s SNL Looks: Still the Blueprint
If there’s one thing Cher is never going to do, it’s show up underdressed. In the lead-up to this episode, she had already reminded everyone of her fashion dominance at SNL’s 50th anniversary events, where she wore a sheer black sequined bodysuit with a leather jacket and thigh-high boots, drawing comparisons to her classic Bob Mackie-era stage looks. That same “I’ve been doing this longer than your fave has been alive” fashion confidence carried straight into her SNL musical guest night.
While full official wardrobe breakdowns for the Dec. 20 performance are still trickling in, early recaps and highlight videos focus heavily on her stage presence, dramatic lighting, and the fact that her styling leaned into her signature mix of sleek black, sparkle, and unapologetically bold silhouettes. Between her longtime association with daring, body-hugging outfits and her very recent see-through bodysuit moment at SNL’s homecoming concert, the SNL appearance continues the narrative that she’s not about to age out of her own aesthetic for anyone.
A Full-Circle SNL Moment
Cher first did SNL as a musical guest back in 1987, performing tracks like “I Found Someone” and “We All Sleep Alone,” and 2025’s return basically acted as a 38–40 year victory lap. Ahead of the episode, networks and outlets emphasized how rare this booking was, given that aside from anniversary specials and quick cameos, she hadn’t taken on a full musical guest role in decades.
The Dec. 20 show was positioned as the Christmas finale, which made her set feel even more like an “event” performance — fan recaps describe her first song as a powerful, stage-commanding number that had the crowd clapping, singing, and fully locked in. By the time she moved into the second song and eventual encore, the audience was already on its feet, with coverage calling the final chorus and standing ovation a “legend” moment that capped off not just an episode but a generational TV arc.
Why her SNL Appearance Matters
Beyond the outfits and vocals, Cher’s night on SNL in 2025 hits on a few big cultural points. First, it ties her early SNL history in the ’80s to its modern, social-media-clipped era, showing that a legacy act can still thrive in a meme-and-recap-driven landscape. Second, pairing her with Ariana Grande as host created a neat visual of old-school and new-school pop royalty sharing the same sandbox, something network promos leaned on heavily before the episode aired.
And third, between her SNL 50th concert look, the anniversary red-carpet appearances, and now this Christmas finale, Cher is quietly proving that longevity in pop doesn’t have to mean fading into tasteful background cameos. She’s still dressing loud, still singing live, still pulling standing ovations — and still making a late-night stage feel like it’s hers the second she steps into the spotlight.
