Premier League Boxing Day Tradition Returns With Seven Fixtures Confirmed for December 26
The Premier League has confirmed seven matches will be played on Boxing Day this year, marking a major return to the traditional festive football schedule after just a single fixture was staged on December 26 last season.
According to the league’s newly released Christmas and New Year fixture programme, four of the seven Boxing Day matches will kick off simultaneously at 3pm GMT on Saturday, December 26, 2026, with the remaining fixtures scheduled for 12:30pm, 5:30pm and 8pm. The day’s action begins with Aston Villa hosting Leeds United in the early lunchtime slot, before four matches get underway together at 3pm: Everton against Sunderland, Fulham hosting Brighton, Ipswich Town welcoming Brentford, and Tottenham Hotspur taking on Bournemouth. Newly promoted Hull City will host Liverpool in the 5:30pm fixture, before the day concludes with Manchester City’s trip to face Newcastle United at 8pm.
Three further fixtures originally under consideration for Boxing Day, Coventry City against Chelsea, Manchester United against Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace against Arsenal, will instead be played the following day, on Sunday, December 27, alongside the rest of that weekend’s programme.
This year’s expanded schedule represents a significant shift from the previous campaign, when Manchester United’s narrow 1-0 win over Newcastle United stood as the sole Boxing Day fixture, the fewest games played on the traditional festive date in Premier League history. That reduced schedule had been introduced amid concerns over fixture congestion linked to an expanded European calendar and changes to the FA Cup format. With Boxing Day falling on a Saturday this year, the league has opted to restore a fuller festive programme for supporters.
Beyond Boxing Day itself, the wider festive calendar will see a round of midweek fixtures played on December 29 and 30, including Manchester City’s visit to Everton and Liverpool’s trip to Aston Villa. Leeds United’s home fixture against Everton on New Year’s Day, January 1, will stand as the only Premier League match played that day, with the remainder of that round spread across the weekend of January 2 and 3, including a notable clash between Manchester City and Tottenham on January 3. A further round of fixtures will then be played across the evenings of January 5 to 7, completing a demanding stretch of festive football.
In a statement explaining the timing of the announcement, the Premier League said the early release, made more than three months in advance of the fixtures themselves, was intended to give supporters sufficient notice to plan travel arrangements over what remains one of football’s busiest periods, following consultation with the Football Supporters’ Association and representatives from club Fan Advisory Boards. The league has also guaranteed clubs a minimum 60-hour break between fixtures throughout the festive period, aimed at addressing growing concerns over player welfare amid an increasingly congested calendar shaped by expanded European and international competitions.
With the full festive schedule now confirmed, fans across the country can begin planning for what promises to be a return to the traditional, jam-packed programme of Premier League football synonymous with the Christmas period in England.
About the Author
