Premier League Boxing Day 2026 takes place on Saturday 26 December 2026, with a full slate of top-flight English football fixtures across the country. The Boxing Day programme is one of the most-watched matchdays of the Premier League season and, with 26 December falling on a Saturday in 2026, the league is set to return to a fuller schedule after recent quieter editions forced by midweek calendar clashes.
What is Premier League Boxing Day?
Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom and, by long tradition, English football has used it as one of the busiest fixture dates of the year. Premier League clubs play the day after Christmas Day in front of packed stadiums and a huge global broadcast audience. The fixture round sits at the mid-point of the congested Christmas and New Year schedule, bridging the final matches before Christmas and the New Year’s Day programme.
Since the Premier League’s formation in 1992, Boxing Day has been a reliable fixture in the calendar and a commercial highlight for the competition’s broadcasters. Managers often point to the Christmas period as a defining run of matches for title challengers and relegation strugglers alike, with points on Boxing Day frequently shaping the second half of the season.
When is Premier League Boxing Day 2026?
Premier League Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December 2026. With the date landing on a Saturday, the league is expected to schedule a full round of fixtures, typically split between a traditional Saturday 3pm slot and televised games at 12:30pm, 5:30pm and 8pm UK time. Some matches may also be spread across Sunday 27 December depending on broadcaster selections.
Where is Premier League Boxing Day 2026?
Fixtures are played at the home grounds of the designated home clubs across England and Wales. All 20 Premier League stadiums typically host matches on Boxing Day, from Anfield and Old Trafford to Goodison Park, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Emirates. The fixture list is confirmed by the Premier League, Sky Sports and TNT Sports in the weeks leading up to the round, with kick-off times staggered to avoid broadcast clashes.
Key Contenders
Boxing Day typically features several of the biggest clubs in the division, with Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United among the sides regularly selected for televised slots. The league leaders heading into Christmas traditionally face intense scrutiny, as historical data shows that the team top of the table on Boxing Day has a strong record of going on to win the title. Newly promoted sides and clubs battling relegation also face some of the season’s most demanding fixtures across the Christmas programme.
How to Watch
In the United Kingdom, Premier League Boxing Day fixtures are broadcast live on Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video, with the BBC showing highlights on Match of the Day. In the United States, coverage is carried by NBC Sports, Peacock and Telemundo. In Australia, Optus Sport holds the rights, while fuboTV and TSN cover Canada. SuperSport carries the Premier League across sub-Saharan Africa, and in Asia the rights are split between beIN Sports, BeIN, StarHub and others depending on market.
History and Records
Boxing Day football pre-dates the Premier League era by more than a century. The first Football League matches on Boxing Day were played in 1889, and the tradition has continued almost unbroken ever since. The highest-scoring Boxing Day in English football history came in 1963, when the First Division produced 66 goals across 10 matches, including a 10-1 win for Fulham over Ipswich Town. In the Premier League era, some of the most memorable Boxing Day results include Manchester United’s 4-3 win at Newcastle in 2012 and Liverpool’s 5-1 victory over Leicester in 2019.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for Boxing Day fixtures are sold through the home clubs’ official channels and typically go on general sale to members several weeks in advance. Demand is high given the festive atmosphere and the large number of away fans travelling during the Christmas break. Face-value prices vary by club and match category but generally range from around 30 to 90 pounds for adults, with some clubs operating family enclosures at reduced rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Premier League Boxing Day 2026?
Saturday 26 December 2026, with kick-offs spread across the day.
Where are Premier League Boxing Day 2026 matches being held?
At the home grounds of all 20 Premier League clubs across England and Wales.
How can I watch Premier League Boxing Day 2026?
On Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video in the UK, and on NBC Sports and Peacock in the United States.
Why is Boxing Day important in English football?
It is a long-standing tradition dating back to 1889 and typically features a full round of Premier League fixtures played in front of large crowds during the festive period.