The Premier League is set for a return to a much bigger Boxing Day programme next season.
The top flight confirmed on October 31 that there would only be one Premier League fixture on December 26 this year, with Manchester United hosting Newcastle in an 8pm kick-off.
The Premier League cited the expansion of European competitions as the root cause of that controversial scheduling decision, and gave assurances that it would be different for the 2026-27 campaign, when Boxing Day falls on a Saturday.
Festive fixture changes:
🆚 Manchester Utd (A) – 26.12.25. 8pm.🆚 Burnley (A) – 30.12.25. 7.30pm🆚 Crystal Palace (H) – 4.01.26. 3pm.🆚 Leeds United (H) – 7.01.26. 8.15pm. pic.twitter.com/cjJhtMNlXR
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) October 31, 2025
The league announced details of the 2026-27 season on Friday, and it is understood that commitment to a greater number of Boxing Day matches remains.
The league has pledged that no two match rounds will take place within 60 hours over the Christmas and New Year period, in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address the congested festive schedule within the expanded international calendar.
The season will kick off on August 22, 2026 – 33 days on from the 2026 World Cup final.
The league said the 2026-27 season would conclude on Sunday, May 30, 2027, ahead of the Champions League final which will be played on June 5, 2027.