Riverdale season 6: Release date, cast, plot and latest news

Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) popped up in the spooky new Riverdale season six trailer, before paying a visit to Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) after she unleashed an ancient family curse on the town.

Elsewhere, the show celebrated its 100th episode in style with its midseason finale but took the series to strange new places involving parallel universes, explosive cliffhangers and a 1950s-inspired aesthetic.

The previous season saw actor Mark Consuelos leave the show after his character Hiram Lodge was exiled from Riverdale as punishment for his crimes.

Speaking about the departure, the show's creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said that they had considered killing the character off, but ultimately decided this would make for a better exit.

"After everything Hiram’s done – to basically every single character on the show, over the seasons – it felt like Hiram’s story needed to end in a grand, Shakespearean way," he told Deadline.

"So we thought, 'What are the punishments in Shakespeare’s plays?' The two that kept coming up were execution and exile. Since this series is the epic story of a town, the idea that the entire town would come together in unison to collectively exile the villain who’s been tormenting them for years felt right and satisfying."

The CW previously announced that season six would launch in the autumn with five special episodes, with the remaining episodes of the sixth run yet to be aired.

Read on for everything you need to know about Riverdale season six, which cast members will be returning and the show's release date.

Riverdale season 6B release date

Riverdale season 6 will return on Monday 21st March 2022 on Netflix.

Riverdale season 6 premiered its five-episode event on The CW on Tuesday 16th November 2021.

The episodes are released weekly in the UK on Netflix every Wednesday.

The sixth run kicked off with five special episodes, while the rest of the season is now only just arriving on our screens.

The mid-season finale was released on Netflix UK on December 15, 2021.

"Forces are gathering for the ultimate battle between Good and Evil as the cameras begin to roll on #Riverdale season six," Aguirre-Sacasa previously wrote on Instagram.

"But who will stand on which side? And who will live, and who will die? Everything has been a prelude to this." It sounds as though season six is about to be one of the most dramatic instalments of Riverdale yet.

Riverdale season 6 cast

Riverdale season 6 has the following confirmed as main cast members.

• KJ Apa as Archibald "Archie" Andrews
• Lili Reinhart as Elizabeth "Betty" Cooper
• Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge
• Cole Sprouse as Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones III
• Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom
• Madchen Amick as Alice Smith
• Casey Cott as Kevin Keller
• Charles Melton as Reginald "Reggie" Mantle
• Vanessa Morgan as Antoinette "Toni" Topaz
• Drew Ray Tanner as Fangs Fogarty
• Erin Westbrook as Tabitha Tate

It's hard to imagine Riverdale without its four core stars – KJ Apa (Archie), Lili Reinhart (Betty), Camila Mendes (Veronica) and Cole Sprouse (Jughead) – who all seem set to return for a sixth season.

We'd also expect the likes of Madelaine Petsch (Cheryl), Vanessa Morgan (Toni), Charles Melton (Reggie) and Casey Cott (Kevin Keller) to be back for the upcoming season.

Former series regular Marisol Nichols will reprise her role as Hermione Lodge in a guest role.

Plus, season six will see Kiernan Shipka aka Sabrina turning up for an episode, in a hotly anticipated crossover with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Showrunner Aguirre-Sacasa told TVLine: "We've been talking about having Sabrina visit Riverdale since season one, so it's thrilling that this is finally happening, as part of our Rivervale special event. It's also perfect that she shows up to help Cheryl Blossom during her hour of greatest need. Everyone on set lost their minds – I think fans will, too. It's really fun and special."

Season five saw Erinn Westbrook join the series as Tabitha Tate, the granddaughter of Pop Tate who teams up with Jughead and Betty to investigate the Moth Men, and so it's likely that she'll return for series six.

However, one person who won't be returning is Mark Consuelos who is exiting the series after four seasons as antagonist Hiram Lodge – with season five ending with him exiled from the community.

In a statement, Consuelos said: "First and foremost, I would like to thank Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa for this incredible opportunity. Never before has playing a character that was so bad, felt so good.

"Huge thanks to the Riverdale fandom, to the brilliant crew and amazing cast, whom I consider dear friends and family.”

Aguirre-Sacasa added: "From the moment Mark joined us, he was up for literally anything, a hundred percent committed to making Archie’s life a living hell. And what’s funny is, Mark couldn’t be more different from Hiram. A classy pro and the sweetest guy, always looking out for everyone. We wish Mark the best and hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Hiram Lodge."

Riverdale season 6 trailer

Catch a trailer for the new season of Riverdale below.

We can't wait to see what Sabrina Spellman has in store for the gang.

How many episodes is Riverdale season 6?

The final episode count for Riverdale season 6 has yet to be confirmed, however, the first half of the season consisted of five episodes.

The upcoming season's episodes are titled as below

1. Chapter Ninety-Six: Welcome to Riverdale
2. Chapter Ninety-Seven: Ghost Stories
3. Chapter Ninety-Eight: Mr. Cypher
4. Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Witching Hour(s)
5. Chapter One Hundred: The Jughead Paradox
6. Chapter One Hundred and One: Unbelievable
7. Chapter One Hundred and Two: Death at a Funeral

The upcoming sixth episode of the season, titled Unbelievable, has a synopsis that reads: "As news begins to spread about the bombing at the Andrews' home, Archie (KJ Apa), Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Jughead (Cole Sprouse) begin to deal with mysterious side effects from the explosion.

"Elsewhere, Veronica (Camila Mendes) spirals after learning that Hiram may have been involved, and Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) is consumed with guilt when she believes she may have had a hand in the explosion."

The following episode, titled Death at a Funeral, notes in its synopsis: "Following the explosion at the Andrews residence, Archie (KJ Apa) assembles a team to help rebuild his home, while Jughead (Cole Sprouse) copes with his new reality.

"Meanwhile, at the Riverdale town hall meeting, Veronica (Camila Mendes) breaks some news to the town, which later prompts a visit from her mother Hermoine (guest star Marisol Nichols).

"At Thornhill, Britta (guest star Kyra Leroux) tries to get to the bottom of some strange happenings going on with Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) and Nana Rose (guest star Barbara Wallace)."

Riverdale season 6 plot

These days it's hard to predict what will happen in Riverdale given the drama's ever-changing storylines, so anything could happen when it comes to season six.

Speaking to Decider in August 2021, creator Robert Aguirre-Sacasa said that many of the new friendships and relationships of season five will continue to blossom in season six.

"I will say that we’re definitely picking up on a lot of the emotional relationship stories in season six," he said. "So, a lot of the friendships and relationships and redefinition of relationships that we get to at the end of season five [will] continue into season six."

Whatever happens in season six, fans won't be disappointed according to creator Aguirre-Sacasa, who said on Instagram in September that all previous seasons have "been a prelude to" the upcoming series.

Riverdale is available to stream on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.