Premier League Festive Schedule 2026: Boxing Day Matches and More
The Premier League has laid out a bumper festive schedule, with Boxing Day in 2026 set to look far more like the traditional feast of football than last year’s muted programme.
Seven matches will take place on Saturday, 26 December, spread across four kick-off slots. Aston Villa v Leeds opens the day at 12:30 GMT, before a 15:00 slate featuring Everton v Sunderland, Fulham v Brighton, Ipswich v Brentford and Spurs v AFC Bournemouth. Hull v Liverpool follows in the 17:30 window, and the night closes with Newcastle v Manchester City at 20:00.
Last year’s single Boxing Day fixture felt like an anomaly. This time, the league leans back into its role at the heart of the holiday, while trying to keep a grip on player welfare.
A fuller festive calendar, with guardrails
The schedule stretches well beyond Boxing Day. Three matches land on Sunday, 27 December: Coventry v Chelsea at 14:00, Manchester United v Nottingham Forest at 16:30 and Crystal Palace v Arsenal at 19:00.
Midweek then turns into a floodlit run of football. On Tuesday, 29 December, Hull v Leeds and Spurs v Brighton both kick off at 19:30, with Everton v Manchester City at 20:15. The following night is even busier: Coventry v Brentford, Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth, Fulham v Arsenal, Manchester United v Sunderland and Newcastle v Nottingham Forest all start at 19:30, before Aston Villa v Liverpool and Ipswich v Chelsea round off 30 December at 20:15.
Leeds and Everton are handed the only fixture on New Year’s Day, a 20:00 kick-off on Friday, 1 January, giving that meeting its own national spotlight.
The rest of that round unfolds over the weekend. On Saturday, 2 January, Brighton v Manchester United opens at 12:30, followed by a 15:00 batch of Arsenal v Ipswich, Brentford v Crystal Palace, Liverpool v Coventry, Nottingham Forest v Fulham and Sunderland v Hull. AFC Bournemouth v Aston Villa then takes the 17:30 slot. Sunday, 3 January brings Chelsea v Newcastle at 14:00 and Manchester City v Spurs at 16:30.
One more push follows. A fourth round of festive fixtures is spread across 5–7 January: on Tuesday, 5 January, Arsenal v Brentford, Brighton v AFC Bournemouth, Everton v Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest v Hull all kick off at 19:30, with Sunderland v Liverpool at 20:15. Wednesday, 6 January sees Crystal Palace v Chelsea, Fulham v Spurs and Ipswich v Coventry at 19:30, before Leeds v Manchester City at 20:15. The run closes on Thursday, 7 January with Manchester United v Newcastle at 20:00.
Fans, broadcasters and the 60-hour promise
This time the league has moved early. After talks with broadcast partners, the Football Supporters’ Association and representatives from club Fan Advisory Boards, the Premier League has brought forward its announcement of the Christmas and New Year schedule, giving supporters more time to plan travel and tickets.
Television picks are confirmed up to Monday, 2 November. Selections for the remaining November and December fixtures will follow in the weeks starting 21 September and 19 October.
Amid growing concern over a swollen calendar driven by expanded European and international competitions, the league has also introduced a clear line in the sand: every club is guaranteed at least a 60-hour break between fixtures across the festive period.
The matches come thick and fast. The message from the Premier League is that they will not come without rest. How far that 60-hour buffer can really protect players, and how managers rotate through this relentless stretch, may end up shaping the title race and the relegation fight long before spring arrives.
