SZA, Reneé Rapp, Michael B. Jordan to Guest Star in ‘Sesame Street’ New Season

Elmo and his friends are sorting out some big feelings on the latest season of Sesame Street — and some big name celebrities will be helping them. Guest stars for season 55 will include SZA, Reneé Rapp, Michael B. Jordan, Samara Joy, Noah Kahan, Chris Stapleton, Jonathan Van Ness, and even tennis icon Billie Jean King. The new season premieres on Max on Jan. 16.

“Music can help when you feel all kinds of feelings,” Elmo says in the season trailer. In the sneak peak of Sesame Street’s new season, Reneé Rapp sings along with Cookie Monster, Elmo and Abby Cadabby in a segment aimed to teach kids about their emotional well-being. The rest of the season’s guest stars are also featured in the trailer, having fun with the residents of 123 Sesame Street.

“This season’s emotional well-being curriculum was developed in response to the growing mental health crisis affecting children globally,” Sesame Workshop’s Senior Vice President of Curriculum & Content said in a statement. “Focusing on emotion awareness and social connection skills, children will learn that all feelings are important and that we all experience big feelings, as well as how to navigate social scenarios with friends, families, and the wider community.”

In December 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max announced it will not be renewing a deal for new Sesame Street episodes. Instead, the streaming service will license prior existing episodes until 2027. While season 55 is not being marketed as Sesame Street’s finale, it could very well be if another outlet doesn’t save the show first.