Lena Waithe and the cast marked The Chi’s final season at a NYC premiere party ahead of the May 22 Paramount+ premiere.
New York’s Times Square buzzed with a bittersweet kind of excitement this week as The Chi’s final chapter closed in—captured not just in a premiere setting, but in a gathering of the people who helped turn the Chicago drama into a cultural mainstay.
At The Paradise Club inside the Times Square EDITION Hotel. cast members. creators. and long-running supporters came together for the Season 8 premiere party. a Paramount+ event designed to celebrate what the series has become over the years.. The show’s final season is set to arrive later this month. and the night carried that sense of momentum and farewell at the same time.
Lena Waithe was among the key names in attendance. joined by stars Jacob Latimore. Birgundi Baker. Luke James. Jason Weaver. Hannaha Hall. Michael V.. Epps, and Shamon Brown Jr.. Executive producers Jewel Coronel and Justin Hillian also took part in the celebration. reinforcing the sense that the evening wasn’t only about the cast on screen—it was about the creative team behind the story.
Common made an appearance during the event. stepping out as additional guests from past and present seasons reunited on the red carpet before heading inside.. The mix of familiar faces across different years highlighted how the series’ momentum has been sustained not only through its seasons. but through the community it built around itself.
For attendees, the night offered more than photo ops.. Throughout the evening. people looked back on The Chi’s journey since it debuted in 2018 and revisited the kinds of stories the series explored across eight seasons. framing the celebration as a reflection on the show’s long run and the connection audiences formed over time.
After the red-carpet moments, Waithe also joined Bevy Smith for a live conversation revisiting major series moments.. The discussion focused on how the show evolved and why it resonated with viewers. anchored in the idea that the audience connection grew through consistency. character depth. and staying attentive to the lives at the center of the drama.
Entertainment continued as guests enjoyed live music during the festivities. keeping the tone celebratory even as the event circled around the closing of the series.. Portrait sessions photographed by Lenny Santiago added another layer to the night. capturing the faces and memories tied to the show’s final stretch.
Among the attendees were multiple cast members and participants associated with different eras of the series. with photos from the evening showing Waithe alongside performers including Luke James and Jacob Latimore. as well as artists such as Kyla Pratt and Punkie Johnson.. The presence of these names made the premiere party feel like a reunion—an acknowledgment that The Chi’s legacy is shared across its talent pool. not confined to a single season.
The final season is scheduled to premiere May 22 on Paramount+. After nearly a decade on television, the release date marks a clear turning point for longtime viewers who have followed the show through its earlier arcs and later developments, and now will see how the story closes.
The timing also helps explain why the event carried such emotional weight.. When a series reaches its last season. the celebration often becomes a way for creators and cast to “land the plane” with their audience—honoring what came before while setting expectations for what’s next.. Here, the NYC premiere party framed that transition with both nostalgia and anticipation.
For viewers. the party’s guest list and behind-the-scenes participation signal how deeply the show’s production has been tied to its ongoing relationships—among cast. creators. and those who have supported it from the beginning.. That kind of continuity can be crucial for a long-running drama. especially one that depends on sustained character evolution and audience trust across multiple years.
As May 22 approaches, the farewell energy in New York is likely to carry into the reception of Season 8 itself.. With the final run set to close nearly a decade of television history. the premiere is poised to become more than a standard release—it’s set to function as a concluding moment for a series that has spent years reflecting and shaping conversations around Black life on screen.
The Chi Season 8 Lena Waithe Paramount+ premiere NYC farewell party Jacob Latimore Bevy Smith