Premier League's Exciting Boxing Day Fixtures for 2026

The Premier League has laid out a bumper festive schedule for 2026, confirming seven Boxing Day fixtures and a packed run of games stretching into the first week of January.

Boxing Day back to full throttle

After last year’s muted programme, when only a single match was played on 26 December, Boxing Day is back in familiar, hectic fashion.

Seven games will be staged on Saturday, 26 December, spread across four kick-off slots. Aston Villa host Leeds in the early 12:30 GMT start, before a traditional 15:00 block featuring Everton v Sunderland, Fulham v Brighton, Ipswich v Brentford and Spurs v AFC Bournemouth.

The tempo rises again in the evening. Hull welcome Liverpool at 17:30, with Newcastle v Manchester City closing out the day under the lights at 20:00 in what looks one of the standout fixtures of the period.

Festive run stretches into January

The schedule doesn’t ease up. Three matches follow on Sunday, 27 December: Coventry v Chelsea at 14:00, Manchester United v Nottingham Forest at 16:30 and a late 19:00 London clash between Crystal Palace and Arsenal.

Attention then turns to a midweek round on 29-30 December, built almost entirely around evening kick-offs. On Tuesday, 29 December, Hull v Leeds and Spurs v Brighton both start at 19:30, before Everton face Manchester City at 20:15. The next night is even busier, with five 19:30 matches — Coventry v Brentford, Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth, Fulham v Arsenal, Manchester United v Sunderland and Newcastle v Nottingham Forest — followed by Aston Villa v Liverpool and Ipswich v Chelsea, both at 20:15.

New Year’s Day is quieter but still significant. Leeds host Everton at 20:00 in the only fixture on Friday, 1 January, giving that match a rare standalone spotlight.

The rest of that round lands over the weekend of 2-3 January. Saturday, 2 January opens with Brighton v Manchester United at 12:30. The 15:00 slate features Arsenal v Ipswich, Brentford v Crystal Palace, Liverpool v Coventry, Nottingham Forest v Fulham and Sunderland v Hull, before AFC Bournemouth v Aston Villa rounds off the day at 17:30.

On Sunday, 3 January, Chelsea v Newcastle kicks off at 14:00, followed by Manchester City v Spurs at 16:30 in another marquee fixture of the festive calendar.

The fourth round of holiday games is then spread across 5-7 January. Tuesday, 5 January sees 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. On Wednesday, 6 January, Crystal Palace v Chelsea, Fulham v Spurs and Ipswich v Coventry all start at 19:30, before Leeds v Manchester City at 20:15. The festive run concludes on Thursday, 7 January with Manchester United v Newcastle at 20:00.

Early clarity after talks with fans and broadcasters

The Premier League has brought forward its Christmas and New Year scheduling announcement after talks with broadcast partners, the Football Supporters’ Association and Fan Advisory Board representatives from clubs. The aim is clear: give supporters more time to plan travel and tickets, and give clubs a firmer view of a period that has become increasingly squeezed by expanded European and international calendars.

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

Crucially, the league has also guaranteed every club at least a 60-hour gap between fixtures across the festive period, a direct response to concerns over player welfare and fixture congestion.

The games are set. The rest is down to who can handle the chaos of winter better than anyone else.