Official sources confirm Outer Banks season 5, the final chapter, began production on June 20, 2025. Netflix announced the renewal on November 4, 2024, via Tudum, just before season 4, part 2’s release. Creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke shared the news in a heartfelt letter to fans, posted on Instagram, signaling the end of the Pogues’ journey.
No official release date for Outer Banks season 5 has been announced, but Netflix confirmed a 2026 premiere. Production, starting in June 2025 and expected to run through late 2025, suggests a mid-2026 release, likely spring or summer, based on past schedules. Season 4 aired in two parts: Part 1 on October 10, 2024, and Part 2 on November 7, 2024, with 10 episodes total.
Season 4 ended with a gut-wrenching twist in Morocco, where JJ Maybank was fatally stabbed by his biological father, Chandler Groff, who stole the Blue Crown treasure. The Pogues, devastated, vowed revenge. Outer Banks season 5 will pick up with their pursuit of Groff and the crown, alongside John B. and Sarah’s new journey as parents-to-be, wrapping up the five-season arc.
Outer Banks Season 5 Filming Kicks Off with Core Cast in Charleston
Filming for Outer Banks season 5, the final season, began on June 20, 2025, in Charleston, South Carolina, as confirmed by Netflix on Instagram and Tudum. The start was initially set for April or May 2025 but delayed to June 16, per a What’s on Netflix report, with no reason disclosed. Charleston has doubled for the show’s fictional Kildare County since season 1, with additional international shoots planned, though specific locations remain unconfirmed. A post on X by Netflix celebrated the start, sharing a cast photo from the set.
The core cast returning includes Chase Stokes (John B. Routledge), Madelyn Cline (Sarah Cameron), Madison Bailey (Kiara Carrera), Jonathan Daviss (Pope Heyward), Carlacia Grant (Cleo), Drew Starkey (Rafe Cameron), Austin North (Topper Thornton), and Fiona Palomo (Sofia). Cullen Moss (Sheriff Shoupe) and J. Anthony Crane (Chandler Groff) were promoted to series regulars, per Tudum. Rudy Pankow (JJ Maybank) might not return, following his character’s death in season 4, though flashbacks are possible. New recurring actors from season 4, like Pollyanna McIntosh (Dalia), may return, but no new cast members have been announced.
Production is expected to run through late 2025, aligning with creator Jonas Pate’s statement to Port City Daily that filming would span spring to year-end. The season will likely have 10 episodes, consistent with prior seasons, and may follow season 4’s split-release model (not officially announced). Netflix’s silence on new cast additions keeps speculation open, but the focus remains on the returning Pogues and Kooks.
All Confirmed Details About Outer Banks Season 5
Netflix renewed Outer Banks for its fifth and final season on November 4, 2024, announced via Tudum and Instagram, three days before Season 4, Part 2’s release. Creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke, in a letter to fans, confirmed a five-season plan envisioned since 2017, inspired by a photo of teens on a beach during a power outage. Production began June 20, 2025, in Charleston, South Carolina, after a delay from an earlier April or May start, per What’s on Netflix and The Island Packet. Filming may extend to December 2025, with a 2026 release expected, likely spring or summer, based on a 12–16-month production cycle.
The season will have 10 episodes, per Tudum, possibly split into two parts like season 4. Recurring actors like Pollyanna McIntosh, Brianna Brown, Rigo Sanchez, and Mia Challis may return, but no new cast has been announced. International filming is planned, but locations are undisclosed. A prequel series, Kildare, exploring the Pogue-Kook divide with younger characters, is in development for Wilmington, North Carolina.
The creators told Tudum the Blue Crown hunt, central to season 4, will drive season 5’s plot, concluding the Pogues’ arc. Josh Pate noted to Tudum that the final scene was planned from the start, ensuring a definitive end. Scripts are still being written, per TV Guide, with no trailer released. Season 4’s 100% Rotten Tomatoes score (based on five reviews) sets high expectations. Netflix’s Poguelandia event on November 2, 2024, in Santa Monica, featured cast appearances and fueled fan excitement. The season aims to deliver redemption and closure, honoring JJ’s legacy.
Plot So Far: From Treasure Hunts to Tragedy
Outer Banks follows the Pogues—John B. Routledge, Sarah Cameron, Kiara Carrera, JJ Maybank, Pope Heyward, and later Cleo—in their high-stakes treasure hunts in Kildare County, North Carolina. The series, launched in April 2020, pits the working-class Pogues against the wealthy Kooks, like Rafe and Topper, amid romance, betrayal, and danger.
Season 1 centered on John B.’s search for his missing father, Big John, and the $400 million Royal Merchant gold, sparking a feud with the Kooks. Season 2 escalated with the Cross of Santo Domingo hunt in the Caribbean, revealing Big John’s survival. Season 3 took the Pogues to South America for El Dorado’s gold, ending with their triumph but the deaths of Big John and Ward Cameron.
Season 4, aired in two parts (October 10 and November 7, 2024), began 18 months later, with the Pogues running a bait shop after El Dorado. A new hunt for Blackbeard’s Blue Crown led them to Morocco. Key events included Sarah’s pregnancy reveal, Rafe’s redemption arc, and JJ’s discovery that Chandler Groff, a ruthless treasure hunter, was his biological father.
The season’s feature-length finale saw JJ secure the Blue Crown, only for Groff to stab him fatally in Morocco. Kiara held JJ as he died, and Groff fled to Portugal with the crown. The Pogues, reeling, vowed to avenge JJ, setting up Season 5’s pursuit of Groff and the crown.
Outer Banks season 5 will focus on the Pogues’ revenge against Groff, John B. and Sarah’s parenthood, and the Blue Crown’s resolution. Creators told Tudum JJ’s death was planned from the start to embody his “loyal to a fault” nature, promising a season of redemption and friendship. The Pogues’ final adventure will tie up loose ends, with Rafe and Sofia’s roles and potential returns of characters like Rose or Wheezie adding intrigue. The story aims to deliver the creators’ long-planned ending, closing the five-season saga.
Read more: Materialists Ending Explained: Why Does Lucy Choose Herself Over Nathan and Todd?
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Arvind is a Senior Writer and Editor at Hilvaro, specializing in anime, entertainment, and pop culture. With a BSc in Transportation Technology, his passion for storytelling led him to a career in journalism. He has previously contributed to Sportskeeda and GameRant, covering anime and entertainment with a keen eye for detail.
Outside writing, Arvind loves gaming and is fond of anime, binge-watching movies and television series. He spends some of his free time listening to rock music and writing poetry. What Arvind appreciates most about pop culture is the theme that makes it more alive and engaging for this generation; thus the possibility of such content reaching readers across the globe.
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