What year does Stranger Things season 4 part 1 take place in?

Stranger Things is all about 1980s nostalgia, which is one of its many charms. The sci-fi series follows a group of kids in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, whose lives are completely changed when their friend Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) goes missing. Each season features a monster from the Upside Down, an alternate universe that’s super dangerous. As the kids discover more about the spooky dimension, they’re faced with new threats and secrets.

We’ve met the Demogorgon, Demodogs, the Spider Monster, and the Mind Flayer, and in Stranger Things season 4, we’re going to get to know Vecna. So much has happened since the first season debuted back in 2016, leaving many wondering about the timeline of the show. How many years have passed since season 1, and what year does season 4 take place?

When does Stranger Things season 4 part 1 take place?

In case you haven’t heard, Stranger Things season 4 is being split into two parts. Part 1 takes place a few months after the finale of season 3, during Spring Break of 1986. Each season takes place in a different year, with season 1 being in 1983, season 2 in 1984, and season 3 in 1985.

At this time we can confirm that Stranger Things season 4 part 1 will take place in 1986, though we haven’t heard about season 4 part 2 yet. If the new season is consistent and follows the pattern of previous seasons, we can assume the full season 4 will take place during 1986, though there could always be a time jump between part 1 and part 2.

Just like with previous seasons of Stranger Things, we can expect to see some products unique to the time period in season 4. In 1986, A&W Cream Soda was just introduced, American Girl dolls were coming out, and the Atari 7800 was released. We can’t wait to see what the kids are into this season!

Stranger Things season 4 part 1 will hit Netflix on May 27, with part 2 coming out on July 1.