Premier League Boxing Day and Festive Schedule 2026

The Premier League has unveiled a bumper Boxing Day and festive schedule, restoring one of English football’s great traditions with a full slate of winter fixtures stretching into early January.

After last year’s pared-back Boxing Day programme of just a single match, 26 December 2026 will look far more familiar – and far busier. Seven games will be played across the day, spanning lunchtime to late evening, as the league leans back into its role as the centrepiece of the holiday sporting calendar.

Boxing Day back to full force

Aston Villa and Leeds get the festivities started at 12:30 GMT, before the traditional 15:00 window delivers four fixtures: Everton v Sunderland, Fulham v Brighton, Ipswich v Brentford and Spurs v AFC Bournemouth.

From there, the tempo only rises. Hull host Liverpool at 17:30, with Newcastle v Manchester City closing out Boxing Day under the lights at 20:00 in what promises to be one of the headline fixtures of the period.

The date falls on a Saturday in 2026, and the Premier League has clearly seized the opportunity to restore the kind of stacked Boxing Day schedule supporters have long associated with the competition.

Festive calendar stretches into January

The action continues immediately. Sunday, 27 December brings three more games: Coventry v Chelsea at 14:00, Manchester United v Nottingham Forest at 16:30 and a late 19:00 kick-off as Crystal Palace host Arsenal.

From there, the league moves into a dense run of evening fixtures. A midweek round is set for 29–30 December, with Hull v Leeds and Spurs v Brighton both at 19:30 on the Tuesday, followed by Everton v Manchester City at 20:15.

Wednesday, 30 December is one of the most crowded nights of the entire festive block. Five matches kick off at 19:30 – Coventry v Brentford, Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth, Fulham v Arsenal, Manchester United v Sunderland and Newcastle v Nottingham Forest – before Aston Villa v Liverpool and Ipswich v Chelsea round off the night at 20:15.

New Year’s Day is quieter by design. Only one fixture is scheduled: Leeds v Everton at 20:00, a standalone evening game that gives both clubs centre stage to open 2027.

The rest of that round is spread across the weekend of 2–3 January. Saturday sees Brighton v Manchester United at 12:30, followed by a 15:00 block of Arsenal v Ipswich, Brentford v Crystal Palace, Liverpool v Coventry, Nottingham Forest v Fulham and Sunderland v Hull. AFC Bournemouth v Aston Villa takes the 17:30 slot.

On Sunday, 3 January, Chelsea host Newcastle at 14:00 before Manchester City face Spurs at 16:30 in another marquee clash.

The festive programme then rolls into a fourth round of matches, staged across the evenings of 5–7 January. Tuesday, 5 January features Arsenal v Brentford, Brighton v AFC Bournemouth, Everton v Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest v Hull, all at 19:30, with Sunderland v Liverpool at 20:15.

Wednesday, 6 January brings Crystal Palace v Chelsea, Fulham v Spurs and Ipswich v Coventry at 19:30, followed by Leeds v Manchester City at 20:15. The schedule closes on Thursday, 7 January, with Manchester United v Newcastle at 20:00.

Fixture planning, TV picks and player welfare

The league has brought forward its announcement of the Christmas and New Year schedule after talks with broadcast partners, the Football Supporters’ Association and Fan Advisory Board representatives from clubs. The early clarity is designed to help fans plan travel and tickets around one of the most demanding periods of the season.

Television picks have been confirmed up to Monday, 2 November, with the remaining broadcast selections for November and December to follow in the weeks beginning 21 September and 19 October.

Amid concerns over fixture congestion driven by expanded European and international calendars, the Premier League has also guaranteed clubs at least a 60-hour break between fixtures across the festive run. It is a clear nod to the growing debate over player welfare, even as the league preserves a packed and commercially vital holiday schedule.

So the stage is set: a restored Boxing Day, a relentless run into early January, and a winter calendar that will test squads, managers and medical teams alike. Who will emerge from this festive gauntlet with their season transformed?