The Premier League has returned to its traditional Boxing Day slate of fixtures for the 2026-27 campaign.Last season, Manchester United’s home match against Newcastle United was the only English top-flight game played on Boxing Day. The break from the traditional festive schedule was due to calendar complexities owing to the league’s obligation to stage 33 rounds of games at weekends was fulfilled.The Premier League confirmed in a statement on Thursday that there will be seven matches played on Boxing Day — Saturday, December 26 — with the remaining three on Sunday, December 27.There is, however, just one game on New Year’s Day, which falls on a Friday, with Leeds United’s home game against Everton the solitary fixture scheduled for that day. The remaining nine games will take place across Saturday, January 2 and Sunday, January 3.The Boxing Day schedule begins with Aston Villa hosting Leeds in the day’s 12:30pm (GMT) kick off. This is followed by four 3pm matches: Everton vs. Sunderland, Fulham vs. Brighton & Hove Albion, Ipswich Town vs. Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur vs. Bournemouth.
Liverpool’s trip to Hull City is the 5:30pm game, before Boxing Day concludes with Newcastle United against Manchester City at 8pm.On December 27, Chelsea’s trip to Coventry City will kick off the day at 2:00pm, before Manchester United host Nottingham Forest at 4:30pm and Arsenal visit Crystal Palace at 7pm.How to pick a Premier League teamHannah Vanbiber, Lia Griffin and moreThe broadcast selections for across the festive period have also been confirmed, with the announcement of timings coming earlier than usual — and before the TV selections for November’s games — due to an agreement between the Premier League and its broadcast partners.The broadcast confirmation “gives supporters more than three months’ notice to plan and make travel arrangements for a particularly busy time of the year and follows consultation with the Football Supporters’ Association and representatives from club Fan Advisory Boards”, the Premier League said in a statement.Teams will then play again on either Tuesday, December 29 or Wednesday, December 30. All 10 games across December 29 and 30 will be broadcast on Sky Sports.The Premier League said that across the festive schedule, all clubs will have at least a 60-hour gap between games. “This is in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address the congested festive schedule — in the context of an expanding European and international fixture calendar,” the Premier League said.Historically, Boxing Day is one of the busiest days of the year across English men’s football, with a full fixture list scheduled throughout the pyramid at professional and semi-professional level. Despite the Premier League’s break from tradition last season, the English Football League (EFL, tiers two to four in the men’s footballing pyramid), had a full Boxing Day schedule as normal.Premier League festive fixture scheduleMatchweek 17Saturday, December 26
