The Premier League will release the full fixture schedule for the 2026-27 season on Friday at 10:00 BST, one hour later than in previous years.
Clubs and supporters across the country will finally learn their opening-day opponents and the full shape of the coming campaign when the announcement drops.
Both the start and end dates of the new season are later than usual, a direct consequence of the 2026 World Cup taking place in the United States.
The new Premier League campaign will kick off on Saturday, 22 August 2026, which falls 34 days after the World Cup final on American soil.
That delayed start pushes the season’s conclusion back as well, with the final round of matches scheduled for Sunday, 30 May 2027.
The Champions League final will follow just six days after the Premier League curtain comes down, giving the calendar little breathing room at the end of the campaign.
Next season’s schedule will feature 33 rounds of weekend fixtures, with the remaining five matchdays taking place midweek throughout the campaign.
The Premier League has said next season’s schedule will be designed to “avoid domestic competition clashes with Uefa competition dates, wherever possible.”
During the festive period, no two rounds of matches will be played within 60 hours of each other, honouring commitments made to clubs about easing the traditionally congested Christmas and New Year schedule.
One of the most significant structural changes to the calendar concerns the international break window in the autumn, which is being overhauled from next season onward.
Traditionally, the early months of the season have featured three separate two-week international breaks in September, October, and November respectively.
From the 2026-27 campaign, the September and October breaks will be merged into a single, larger window rather than two separate interruptions to domestic football.
This means there will be a three-week gap in Premier League action after the weekend of 19/20 September, with club football not resuming until the weekend of 10/11 October.
The extended autumn break is not a temporary measure, with the arrangement confirmed to remain in place until at least the 2030-31 season.
For fans planning their calendars ahead of the new campaign, Friday’s fixture release will be the first real opportunity to map out the season in full detail.
