Ariana Grande took on the role of Kevin McCallister in a darkly hilarious Home Alone recreation on Saturday Night Live.

While hosting the final episode of 2025 on Dec. 20, the Wicked star channeled Macaulay Culkin’s mischievous 8-year-old character from the iconic 1990 holiday film.

The pre-recorded sketch, titled “Home Alone,” opens with Grande’s Kevin waking up in his parents’ bed after being accidentally left behind when his family goes on vacation for Christmas. In a reimagining of the movie’s emotional ending, Kevin’s mom (played by SNL‘s Ashley Padilla) rushes through the front door of their home to reunite with her son before the rest of the family arrives.

In the original Home Alone, Kevin is forced to defend him home from two bumbling burglars by setting various booby traps around the house. SNL‘s recreation finds those traps still active, as Kevin’s dad (portrayed by Mikey Day) opens the coat closet only to find his head set on fire by a rigged blowtorch.

The gruesome mayhem continues as another family member slips on some small toy cars left on the floor and cracks his head open on the corner of a piano. The chaos persists as yet another family member steps into string that activates a nail gun that shoots several into his face, before Kevin’s sister (Sarah Sherman) slips on marbles that sent her down a laundry chute and into a blazing fire. If that weren’t enough, Kevin’s bully older brother Buzz goes to call 911 and sets off yet another trap that lets loose an active chainsaw that cuts off the arms of his younger brother (played by Bowen Yang) and splatters blood on everyone’s faces.

The gory skit ends with the gruff older man rushing through the door to announce he’s made amends with his son, only to have his head sliced off by the flying chainsaw. The sketch concludes with Grande’s Kevin, hands pressed to his bloodied cheeks, delivering the iconic close-up scream from the holiday classic.

Saturday’s episode also featured musical guest Cher, who performed two songs — “DJ Play a Christmas Song” and “Run Rudolph Run” — from her 2023 holiday album, Christmas.

After the holiday break, SNL will return on Jan. 17, 2026, with an episode hosted by Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard and musical guest A$AP Rocky.

Watch the “Home Alone” sketch from SNL below, and find all the ways to stream the full episode here.

If you ever find yourself at a Bedford Falls’ live show, the first thing you’ll notice is the unmistakable connection between the band and the audience. Their performances are defined by shared energy, where the crowd becomes part of the act – a fifth member of the band, turning every song into a collective chorus. And their music, free from genre boundaries, leaves you no choice but to sing along.

Formed in 2014, Bedford Falls — Dato (vocals), Mikho (guitar), Migro (bass) and Sandro (drums and backing vocals) — has grown into one of the leading forces in Georgia’s music scene. Inspired by Frank Capra’s classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life, the band took its name from the fictional town, where the story unfolds – a place where the lives of its residents are deeply intertwined, where community, kindness and human connections shape everyday city life.

“We were discussing, before the interview, what we’d answer if you asked us why Bedford Falls: because we believed ‘it’s a wonderful life,’” they say, talking about the band’s name, which, at the beginning was a challenge for listeners to remember, however today it’s more associated with the band rather than the film. “I specifically asked Mikho to watch the movie before I told him the name I had in mind,” recalls Dato, the band’s frontman, who came up with the idea. “I wanted him to understand the story behind it, to feel the meaning that made it right for us.”

In the band’s early days, the name seemed to shape their sound. Early releases, such as “Sazamtro” (which means ‘watermelon’ in Georgian, but also sounds like ‘for winter’) evoke a calm, cozy and homelike atmosphere, wrapped in the gentle warmth of the Christmas spirit. Today the band’s music is diverse, transcending genres and breaking conventional rules. They sing in both English and Georgian, believing that, like their creativity, music has no boundaries. And no matter what language you sing in, music remains a universal language itself.

When asked which of their songs represents Bedford Falls best, their responses are as diverse as their music, with each member naming a personal choice: “Kino,” “Come,” “Idaho,” “Calipso.”

But there is definitely a thing that unites all of their songs – the unique emotional bond the audience forms with them.

It’s also the main reason they don’t record in studios, but at home. A home environment allows them to be their true selves and share their raw emotions that resonate so deeply with the audience.

“We’ve tried recording in professional studios, but we didn’t like the results. It often felt soulless and didn’t match our mood. The usually sterile environment of big studios makes it challenging to find the right sound and mood for our songs. Recording in your natural setting feels better: you can wake up, get an idea and record it instantly.”

Sandro: “In the beginning we didn’t even have a licensed recording program on a computer. And in case the program crashed, we lost everything. There were times when the power went out and it was over – everything was gone. And yet it was on this demo version that we recorded tracks like ‘Dreamer Once’ and ‘Thrill is Gone,’ the latter of which has the most views on YouTube.”

Dato: “We would work all night, afraid to sleep, because if the computer went into sleep mode, we’d lose everything. We worked like this for about two to three years.”

Migro: “Yes, but everything that happened worked out for the best, and we have arrived here through the right decisions. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here.”

Since its formation, the band has been exceptionally active – constantly moving forward, releasing new music and performing live. Last year, they embarked on a European tour, playing at festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the Fusion Festival in Germany. They also performed at the famous Paradiso in Amsterdam. Most recently, the band held a pair of sold-out concerts with a symphony orchestra, presenting audiences with fully re-orchestrated, brand-new versions of Bedford Falls’ iconic songs.

The band is now preparing to release its new album, LAZYBONES, which is scheduled for 2026.

“This album is our emotional reflection on the past year, which proved especially challenging for everyone. The new songs explore feelings of hopelessness, the struggle with apathy, the desire to escape, and, at the same time, the effort to hold on to love during dark times. These themes may not always appear explicitly in the lyrics or context, but emotionally, each crisis is directly reflected in the music, as most of the tracks were written during this period.”

“Sonically, the album introduces new elements that will feel fresh to listeners, while the signature sound they know and love remains intact.”

When asked what they themselves listen to, the band’s answers were just as varied and eclectic. The conversation began with bands like Geese, Of Montreal, The Velvet Underground, Arcade Fire, and eventually drifted into mainstream pop.

But despite their different tastes, the band still shares a point of intersection, just as they do in everything else: The Beatles. “There was a time we could talk about The Beatles for hours, and honestly, nothing has changed in these ten years,” they agree.

However, a lot has changed over these years in their music and career. Started out as an unknown band, playing wherever they could, in every small bar, Bedford Falls’ name now appears on the lineups of major festivals and stages.

“Once, we asked the owner of one of the small bars for a bit more pay for a gig. Instead, he offered us the chance to sell tickets, letting us keep all the proceeds. That was the moment we first dared to sell our show. And when the bar filled with people who knew our songs by heart, it became an iconic moment for us, when we realized we were on the right path.”

Asked about dreams, listed among them were performing at the Glastonbury Festival, appearing on Saturday Night Live, serving as the opening act for a renowned musician’s tour and even gaining a spot on Barack Obama’s annual playlist. However, their main and most important wish was expressed as follows: “In today’s world, when artists have to act as their own promoters but often lack the skills to do so, there’s a persistent feeling that your work could reach so many more people – not just in Georgia, but around the world – if only you had the right resources. We feel a real sense of loss that our music could resonate with more people globally. This isn’t about chasing profit, it’s about the feeling that something meaningful could reach further and you want more people to experience it. There’s always an underlying hope that your work will find its way to someone, giving them the chance to decide for themselves whether it speaks to them. That’s the main desire – to connect with a wider audience.”

“Personally, I believe even Tyler, the Creator would enjoy our music if it reached him,” Sandro added joyfully.

And to the final question – what they would like to say to the audience just discovering Bedford Falls – they replied, with their usual humor, lightness and confidence: “You’re late!”

Then added: “We would just tell them to listen to us. Valuable music is being made in every corner of the world, no matter the origins, it can hit home just as deeply as something local. And we hope our songs become a part of their own story.”

This article originally appeared in Billboard Georgia.

Bowen Yang‘s final episode as a cast member on Saturday Night Live ended not with a punchline, but with a song — and a moment that felt unmistakably like a goodbye.

During Saturday night’s (Dec. 20) Ariana Grande–hosted episode, the show closed with a sketch that doubled as a farewell for Yang, who recently confirmed his departure after more than seven years at SNL.

The scene cast Yang as a Delta Sky Club employee working his last shift, quietly aware that something is ending.

What followed was a stripped-back rendition of the Eagles’ “Please Come Home for Christmas,” with Ariana Grande joining in — and, moments later, Cher stepping into the frame.

Earlier in the day, Yang acknowledged his exit in an Instagram post, thanking Grande for how the episode handled his sendoff. “thank you to ari for sending me off in the dreamiest way i could imagine,” he wrote.

In a longer message, Yang reflected on his time at SNL, offering a characteristically self-aware goodbye. “I’m grateful for every minute of my time there,” he wrote. “I learned about myself (bad with wigs). i learned about others (generous, vulnerable, hot). i learned that human error can be nothing but correct.”

Yang first joined Saturday Night Live as a writer in 2018 before becoming a featured player the following season and later a full cast member. He quickly grew into one of the show’s most distinctive voices, earning four Emmy nominations and becoming a central presence during a period of major cast turnover. Alongside his work on the show, Yang has built an increasingly visible film and TV career, moving comfortably between sketch comedy, pop culture commentary and mainstream projects.

Musical farewells have quietly become SNL’s way of marking meaningful exits. Kristen Wiig was serenaded by Arcade Fire during her final episode in 2012, while Cecily Strong closed her run in 2022 with “Blue Christmas.” Like those moments, Yang’s goodbye allowed the show to slow down and acknowledge what was being lost — not just a cast member, but an era.

Rather than leaning into jokes, SNL let Yang sing his way out. It felt simple, sincere, and earned.

The Concert for Altadena has expanded its lineup ahead of the benefit supporting Californians affected by last year’s deadly wildfires.

Rufus Wainwright, Lucius, Lord Huron and Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas have joined the roster for the Jan. 7, 2026, show at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The one-night-only concert, benefiting those impacted by the Eaton Fire, will be hosted by Altadena resident John C. Reilly, whose home was destroyed in the blaze.

Organized by the band Dawes, the event will also feature previously announced performers, including Brandon Flowers of The Killers and Brad Paisley. Other artists on the lineup include Eric Krasno, Aloe Blacc, Jackson Browne, Judith Hill, Jenny Lewis, Mandy Moore, Stephen Stills, Everclear and Ozomatli.

Proceeds will support the Altadena Builds Back Foundation, which helps rebuild homes destroyed in the fires. The Eaton Fire ravaged the region, killing 19 people, forcing 100,000 residents to flee, and leveling nearly 9,500 structures.

“January 7th marks a year to the day that our sweet town got ravaged by the Eaton Fire,” Dawes wrote on Instagram in October. “It’s gonna be a heavy night, but it’s going to be a beautiful one too.”

Bandmates and brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith have shared how the wildfires personally affected them. Days after the blazes began — and weeks before the L.A. Fire Department could fully contain them — Griffin posted on Instagram that his family had “lost everything,” including their home. Taylor also suffered major losses, with his home studio and much of Dawes’ recording equipment destroyed.

At the February Grammys, Dawes honored the city with a performance of “I Love L.A.,” joined by Brad Paisley, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent.