With just one day to go until the final season starts, HBO have released more and more tantalizing – if not terrifying – teasers, trailers and pictures; scenes from an apocalyptic Winterfell, Sansa offering her home to the Mother of Dragons, the arrival of the Golden Company, et al.
One unconditional guarantee is the absolute spectacle that awaits us. With a handful of feature-length episodes on the other side of the season premiere, it’s safe to say these episodes (which reportedly feature the most complex sequences ever filmed for television) will be the best of the monumental show’s best.
Here’s everything we know so far about season 8 of the hit fantasy epic.
When does Games of Thrones season 8 start?
HBO confirmed that Game of Thrones will return for its final season on April 14, 2019 in the US. The UK release date is April 15.
What time is episode 1 on TV?
The first episode of Game of Thrones season 8 will air in the US at 9 pm Eastern time and at 2 am on Monday 15 April in the UK. You can find out more about how to watch Game of Thrones in the UK in our handy guide.
How many episodes will there be in season 8?
The eighth season will be the shortest yet; only six episodes, making it shorter than the penultimate season (seven episodes) and much shorter than the first six seasons of the show (which had 10 episodes each).
How long will each episode be?
While the eighth season will only have six episodes, some of them will be much longer than the one-hour slot they’ve filled in previous seasons. The first couple of episodes, however, are disappointingly short:
- Episode 1: 54 minutes
- Episode 2: 58 minutes
- Episode 3: 60 minutes
- Episode 4: 78 minutes
- Episode 5: 80 minutes
- Episode 6: 80 minutes
As noted by Winter Is Coming, the first episode is also the only one without an ‘Adult Content’ warning — the calm before the storm, perhaps?
In a crushing blow for Thrones fans, however, HBO head of programming Casey Bloys has hinted there could be another agonising wait between the end of Game of Thrones and the beginning of the first spin-off show, saying “you’re not going to see anything air anytime close to the season 8 finale.”
Where can I watch Season 8?
Season 8 of Game of Thrones airs in April 2019 on Sky and NOW TV.
If you want to catch up on season 7 while you wait, you can watch it on NOW TV from today – and here’s a 7 day free Entertainment Pass trial.
Find out everything you need to know about watching Game of Thrones in the UK here.